Ins and Outs of Disney's FastPass+

Ahem . .  . Sorry, guys, there are no real tricks to this. . . yet.



Gotta smile with Minnie and Pluto!

There are a few facts that I can list, and I will, but for the most part there are no tricks to securing the FastPass+ for certain coveted rides except to catch the ride during the off season, or staying at a WDW hotel, or waiting in lines (horribly long wait times during peak season!)



The show right before the 'soft' park opening.

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Tips:

• If you can afford to stay in a WDW hotel, then do so. This gives you up to 60 days in advance to schedule your FP+ times. WHICH MEANS: you have to know which park you are going on any given day. There is no freedom to change your mind at the last minute. Oh, the WDW gurus say that you can, but not during peak season as all the 'good' FP+ passes are gone before you even get to the park. If you buy your tickets, but stay off-site at another Orlando hotel, then you have only 30 days prior to your visit to get your FP+ tickets.
• Go to the online map, print it out, and have some family meetings prior to picking your FP+ options. Your vacation will be much happier if you let everyone choose something they really, really want to do. And this way, you can familiarize yourself with the park, the rides, and the set up.
• Last year I groused about the new maps. Well, there was a reason for the way they set up those maps--they have an online phone app that gives you the wait times of various attractions. Yes, there are tons of people starring at their phones as they figure out where their FP+ is and how long the wait times are for the attractions around the FP+ time. And yes, there was one day, a Saturday, that the app was down for virtually all day. If we hadn't jotted the information down prior to walking out the door we wouldn't have had a clue when or which FP+ we had, along with the time of our dinner reservations. Just realize that there are probably 100,000+ people at these four parks on a crowded day, all trying to log on to their app.
• My hubby's Samsung 5 had enough battery juice to last all day (8 am- 9 pm), but not all phones last that long. There were many people sitting next to a plug all around the park. On an aside: the Universal Florida app wasn't as good and we roamed a lot, which sucked up the battery juice.
• Only three (3) FP+ passes are issued each day. You can try to get more FP+ AFTER the final time frame of your last issued FP+. Each FP+ takes an hour time frame, which means that you can have FP+ tickets back-to-back. For example: 9-10 am--7 Dwarves Mine Train, 10-11 Big Thunder Mountain, and 11-12 Pirates of the Caribbean. After the 12 PM time passes you can go to a kiosk and try to get another FP+. Many times the wait times were up to an hour just to see if there were any FP+ tickets left for a particular ride. . .  In other words: don't waste your time if it's peak season, just wait in line or get up at the butt-crack of dawn to be one of the first to ride the ride.
• The way we would plan the previous three FP+ times would be to ride the Mine train toward the end of the FastPass period and then hit Thunder Mountain at the beginning of the Fast Pass time. Don't forget to allow for lunch and the ensuing crowds at the lunch places.
• If you are an early morning park person, I would suggest not getting your first FP+ until an hour after the park opens. You won't need one in the first hour of operations because the park isn't that crowded.
• And no, you can't have two FP+ at one park, and then park hop to your third FP+. We wanted to do that since we tend to eat at EPCOT in the evenings. As it currently is set up, you are not able to do this.
• Rides that normally don't crowd up had waits of 45 min. or longer. The Haunted Mansion was one of those rides.
• Peak season is hideously crowded. They even offer FP+ locations for parades, fireworks, along with character greetings. Yeah, it's that crowded. Plan to have ZERO personal space as people will squish and squeeze their way into any small opening. It's not so bad first thing in the morning, but by late afternoon you are dealing with hot, tired, sweaty, and stinky people with a very short fuse. .. .just saying. And that's not all the screaming kids throwing temper tantrums because they are hot and tired.
• If you are an early morning park type person, get thee to a park at least 30 minutes prior to opening. Many times they will have a soft opening and open the main gate 10-15 minutes before the official opening. Don't kill yourself or others as you gallop to Space Mountain because the rides themselves will NOT open until the official opening time. The early opening allows you to place yourself in a good spot to get on the ride in a timely manner.
• Do not waste your time going to a show during this first hour of any park opening, focus on riding the big rides before the lines get too long. Shows might look crowded from the outside, but most of them offer a system of various pre-show rooms.
• IF you stay in a WDW hotel, you must take advantage of the early park entry times offered. It isn't every park on every day. Some are late night hours after the park is closed, but remember that everyone else who is staying at a WDW hotel will be going to that park after the other parks close, thus jam packed with stinky, sweaty humanity.
• It's the early morning hours you want as most of the late nighters are still sleeping. You have to figure out your schedule to work the early park openings into your schedule (yes, it's on their website and in their brochures). On a side note: the early/late park hours don't necessarily stay the same every year, AND the times change according to the park hours during that particular time of year. Summer offers longer hours than spring or fall, staying open as late as 12 AM or even 1 AM.  
• When you choose your FP+ options don't expect to get the primo roller coaster ones each day. They allow two big rides and one minor type attraction. This is really a pain in Epcot where you can have either Soarin' or Test Track, but not both on the same day. Remember the early days of Disney where they had A, B, C tickets? You would only have one or two A tickets, but you couldn't give the C tickets away. Yeah, some of the FP+ options are like the C tickets. Do you really need a FP+ to see Captain Eo? I think not.

That's all I can think of to offer as suggestions for right now. If you have any questions, please ask away. I'm getting tired of talking to myself on this blog.

Here are a few pictures taken at Walt Disney World.

All these pictures are taken with hubby's cell phone.

Here are a few pics from the Magic Kingdom:


Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Disney drained the ponds on either side and are doing some major construction. No, we don't know what they are doing.

Space Mountain. I think we rode this about six or seven times. This is the best picture! We texted our friend Steve with a daily picture since I didn't want to post on FB that we were gone, and this was one of the first ones we sent.

Buzz Lightyear ride. I suck at the laser shooting, personally I blame the hubby for moving the car when I line up my shot. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

on Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster

This was very early in the morning and the crowds were light.

Sad gargoyle needed some sugar--on entrance way into the Beast's castle.

On walkway to the Beast's castle, the 7 Dwarves Mine train is coming out of the mountain. The picture doesn't capture the gorgeous color of the plants on the mountain.

From Animal Kingdom:



Expedition Everest is in the background--totally awesome roller coaster.  The small peak to the left of the mountain is the temple in the next picture on the way up the mountain.



Going up on the steep incline of Expedition Everest. We usually hit this ride in the single rider line. We had a FP+ for this shot.

 

Kilimanjaro Safaris. . . blurry young giraffe.

Kilimanjaro Safaris. Elephant and baby.

 

From Hollywood Studios: 

 Olaf and FROZEN characters are huge at this park. They even had a fireworks show that we could see out our hotel window. It was nice to watch right before going to sleep!

Numerous big screens had Olaf interacting with the visitors throughout the day and especially during the park opening and the fireworks.





Yep, they even had Olaf cupcakes--carrot cake with cream cheese icing.

Toy Story Mania

Star Tours. The new show combines different scenarios in each ride to give a multi-faceted thrill ride that isn't the same every time you ride.

Tower of Terror. Yes, we are the goofballs on the back row. :-) We wouldn't have raised our arms if we were in front of people. This is taken at the top of the drop, right as the elevator falls. Again, this ride is set up with an infinite number of scenarios that have different drops, mixing long drops with short drops.

 

Tower of Terror behind us. The last time we took a picture here--the kidlet was up to my chin. Oh, my, how she has grown!



 

 

And finally a few pictures from EPCOT:  

 AT the Rose and Crown Pub in the UK. Post dinner. I had an incredible Scottish salmon dinner, and I don't even like salmon!

 Outside of Paris. The Eiffel Tower is in the background.

 

 The Japan pavilion. We buy the funkiest Japanese candy at the department store there. It's so good!

 

 Picture taken from Italy facing toward the front of EPCOT. The round ball is Spaceship Earth. It's a sleepy kind of ride that had Dame Judi Dench ('M' of the most recent James Bond flicks) narrating.

 

 At the China Pavilion.

 

 We ate Italian on our last WDW night.

 Outside Canada and 'Bow Falls'.

 And those are a few of the pictures we have of Walt Disney World 2014. Todd managed to keep most of the crowds out of the pictures. The most crowded location was Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.

The new expanded Fantasyland was a big draw along with the newly opened Seven Dwarves Mine train. It was a fun ride. Not an exciting coaster, but a very Disney one.

More from Universal Florida in a day or two!

Later, peeps!

Walt Disney World -- Magic Kingdom Rides

Finally!! The last installment of the WDW ride breakdown. I saved this one for last because this is the park where the majority of rides are located. As I mentioned before, Disney rides are mild compared to other parks, but that doesn't mean they are less fun.

And there is almost always a story behind each ride.

New version of the map:

Old version of the map:

Again, not a fan of the new maps, but it does have a few of the new rides in the upper right quadrant of Fantasyland.

I'll start off in Tomorrowland, and head counterclockwise, since that seems to be the way we hit the park. The Unofficial Guide book to WDW will give you 'touring' suggestions that will take you back and forth across the park, so if you plan to use one of their tours as a guide, please wear your running shoes!

. . . well, wear your running shoes anyway, because by the end of the day you will have walked MILES.

Again, becoming familiar with the rides and their location will keep you from wasting time as you get your bearings.

Virtually all the rides are wheelchair accessible PROVIDED you can get out of the chair to get on a ride. Wheelchairs are allowed in all the shows and a few of the rides. IF you have a stroller, there is stroller parking near each show/ride.

**Mark your generic stroller/wheelchair with something easily identifiable, such as a red bandana or a pinwheel, or whatever. 'Dirty' diapers have been used to secure one's stroller.**

**if you have a young child who is unable or doesn't want to ride a particular ride, ask an attendant if you can "Switch Off". This basically allows one parent to ride, but then when the ride is over that parent can watch the child while the other parent rides.**

**pick up a times guide to verify meet-n-greet times**

**any ride with a * in front of the ride name is a ride that is on my 'do not miss' list**

MAIN STREET USA

Truthfully, we tend to buzz right through this area to head to Space Mountain, especially in the morning. There are a couple of things you need to know about Main Street. The big central park area is a gathering place for character to take pictures and sign autograph books. To your right, they have been revamping Town Square Theater -- fast pass -- to have an indoor meet-n-greet with Mickey and the Princesses.

Diagonally across the square, they have a new adventure called, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, in which a child searches for clues throughout the Kingdom to defeat the Disney Villains. This would be a fun adventure if you've been to the Magic Kingdom numerous times, right up there with finding Hidden Mickeys, but I'd save it until after you experienced all that the Kingdom offers you.

Walt Disney World Railroad -- This is a regular train that goes around the outside edges of the Magic Kingdom. The main station is above the tunnel entrance into the park. The two other stations are in Fantasyland, where ToonTown used to reside (the upper right corner of the map), and Frontierland, between Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain.

TOMORROWLAND

*Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor -- fast pass -- Interactive SHOW -- The fast pass simply gets you to the front of the line. A limited number of people are allowed in the theater at one time. It's an okay show, not my favorite. Save it for the heat of the day.

*Stitch's Great Escape! --SHOW -- 40" height requirement -- DARK -- fun scary-- A little wet -- though there seems to be a ton of people crowding the queuing area, this theater seats quite a few people. Once you pass the outside doors, there are two more queuing areas before the theater. EVERY seat in the round theater is excellent. Once the show starts, the shoulder harnesses come down over your shoulders on each chair. Sit up straight.  DO NOT ALLOW IT TO SMUSH YOU DOWN. It presses down, but then it pops up about 1/2 inch.

This theater used to be where the Alien show was held . . . and that, my friends, was a really scary show!  

*Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin -- SLIGHTLY DARK -- continual two seat cars move through various scenes as you try to take out Zurg. The front of the car closes on you to keep you in place, but you don't care since you have your gun to shoot things! A third small person can sit in the middle, but there are only two guns. Laser guns shoot targets on various objects to earn points.

Carousel of Progress -- SHOW -- it's been YEARS since we saw this show. Very rarely is it crowded. Personally, I think it's dated as technology is progressing so quickly that it simply can't keep up.

*Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover -- 4-6 person car takes you above the crowds and through a few rides. It helps you rest and get the feel of TOMORROWLAND. It takes you through Buzz Lightyear and Space Mountain, though you won't see anything except the flash of stars, planets, and the rockets unless the ride happens to be down and the lights are on.

Astro Orbiter -- motion sickness --two-seater rockets fly up and down above TOMORROWLAND. Seatbelts and centrifugal force keep you seated.  Similar to Dumbo and Aladdin's Flying Carpets. We did ride this one during Halloween fireworks one year. Now, THAT was really cool! Slow to load and unload. Small groups are taken in elevator to the ride.

*Space Mountain -- fast pass -- 44" height requirement -- DARK -- Two sections of three  seats make up the 'rocket'. You sit one in front of the other. Lap bars hold you in. You really can't see a darn thing so there's no way to brace yourself during this ride. I LOVE this rollercoaster, but it's really rough on your body. It can be very jerky, so if you have neck or back issues, you might want to give this ride a miss.

Tomorrowland Speedway -- 32" to ride, 54" to drive height requirement -- If you've never driven go carts then this might be fun for you. A bunch of cars, running on lawnmower engines, travel on a rail--there is no deviation from the rail or passing. You are stuck on the rail. Of course, this ride is more for the kids than the adults . . . unless the adult wants to relive the magic of the Speedway. I hate to burst your adult bubble, but it isn't the same as it was when you were a kid.

FANTASYLAND

 

Currently, there are two arms to Fantasyland, and they don't meet. When the Seven Dwarves Mine rollercoaster opens up, March 2014 I believe, I think the plan is to open everything up. If you look at the new map and see the big green area with the words, Fantasyland, that is where they are building the mine train.

First, I'll do the path to the right and then go back to do the left path.

Mad Tea Party -- motion sickness -- 2-4 person--when I say up to 4 people, I mean two adults and two little ones NOT four adults-- teacups spin on a moving floor. A fun ride unless your kid is crazed and wants to make you puke. Jus' sayin'.

Fairytale Garden -- head toward Cinderella's Castle opposite direction from the Dumbo rides, very secluded niche-- character meet and greet

Dumbo the Flying Elephant (2) -- motion sickness -- elephants fly around, a lever controls up and down. 2-3 persons per elephant. It's been awhile since we've ridden it, I think seat belts keep you in place.

*The Barnstormer -- fast pass -- 35" height requirement -- This is a fun rollercoaster. A great one to start your kids on. It's not too scary, not too steep, not too long, but it can be fast. Each car seats two people. Recommend one adult to one child per seat. A lap bar with a netting over your legs keeps you in place.

Walt Disney World Railroad -- Fantasyland station. You can get on or get off at any station, BUT you have to leave your scooters and large strollers. Umbrella strollers can be folded up and taken on the train.

Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station -- A Lot WET-- bring extra clothes

Pete's Silly Slide Show -- character meet and greet 

*The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh -- fast pass -- slight dark -- Each honey pot holds four, two in front, two behind. This is a nice quiet ride through Pooh's mind. The scariest part is his nightmare about heffalumps and woozles. A bar comes down over your legs.

Ariel's Grotto --  character meet and greet

Under the Sea -- Journey of the Little Mermaid -- fast pass -- When we went on this little ride, there was no waiting. It seemed similar to The Seas in EPCOT. Little girls would love this ride. Me, not so much, it was kind of boring.

Enchanted Tales with Belle --  character meet and greet

Prince Charming Regal Carousel -- merry-go-round. On the side of the carousel toward Cinderella's Castle is the Sword in the Stone. They do a show here. Check your Times Guides.
 
*Mickey's PhilharMagic -- SHOW -- Must See -- Make an effort to see this 3-D, well 4-D since you'll get slightly damp, show. It's in a huge auditorium so don't let the crowds waiting at the door scare you. It's a nice way to cool off and relax.

*Peter Pan's Flight -- fast pass -- DARK-- 2-3 persons per ship. I never really liked the Peter Pan movie. It just didn't do anything for me, so I was hesitant to ride this ride. Do NOT miss this ride. It's one of my favorites! How many times do you fly in a pirate ship over London? The front of the boat slides closed to keep you in place.

*"it's a small world" -- raft ride-- I know, I know, you will have to ride this ride and suffer the brainworm of music for the next few hours. But it's a very happy ride. It makes people smile.

LIBERTY SQUARE

 

 This is a very small walk-thru area on the way to Frontierland, mainly shops and food places.

*Haunted Mansion -- DARK-- scary -- 2-3 people in each doommobile, continuous conveyor with doombuggies. The front of the doommobile closes on you. This can be very scary for little ones. If you have a kid who's afraid of the dark or things jumping out at them, then you might consider missing this ride. The ghosts dancing in the ballroom are fascinating to watch. Be sure to look at the pictures on the walls, ghosts on the chandeliers, etc.

Liberty Square Riverboat -- They were referbing it in Aug. 2013. It takes forever to load and unload and all it does is go around Tom Sawyer's Island. If you're at WDW for the rides, this one ain't what your looking for.

The Hall of Presidents -- SHOW -- True Confessions here. I never saw it. Auditorium setting with animatronic presidents.

FRONTIERLAND

 

 Keep to the right around the small lake.

*Big Thunder Mountain Railroad -- fast pass -- 40" height requirement -- mine train rollercoaster. 2-3 people per row, two rows per car. Three only if you are accompanied by a child. A bouncy, jerky, runaway mine train. A couple of times we rode this while the fireworks were going off--totally magical! It's a fun rollercoaster, much of it outside. Look for hidden Mickey's.

Walt Disney World Railroad Station -- Up the stairs between Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. 

Tom Sawyer Island -- rafts are poled over to the island. I don't know if there are limits to how many people are on the island, but it tends to take a long time to get over there. It's a great place for kids to run and play and search of treasure. Parents you might want to find a spot to sit and enjoy the break. The only way on and off the island is the raft.

*Splash Mountain -- fast pass -- 40" height requirement --A Lot WET-- three rows of two people fill a log. A lap bar keeps you in place. There are three or four drops. The last drop is the one everyone can see. If they have their water cannons on, then expect to be blasted! 9:15 in the morning is NOT the time to get soaked, just saying. If everyone coming off the ride is drenched, don't expect anything different. . . the right side of the log seems to be the wetter side.

Country Bear Jamboree -- SHOW -- Yeah, never saw it. Can't help you here.

ADVENTURELAND

A Pirate's Adventure - Treasures of the Seven Seas -- search for treasures throughout Adventureland!

*Pirate's of the Caribbean --DARK -- raft ride-- four people per row and about six rows to each boat. A couple of drops, but nothing crazy since you aren't held in by anything except gravity. Remember the movie. Yeah, the Johnny Depp one, they took the story from this ride, then the ride was revamped with Johnny D hiding in the scenery.

Jungle Cruise -- fast pass -- Boat ride. No real seating except around the edges. They take you around the four largest rivers in the world, feeding you cheesy jokes the whole time. It's goofy, but fun, with animatronic animals. Extra fun in the dark. It makes it a little more realistic.

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room -- SHOW -- A good way of getting out of the Florida heat. The show was revamped when Aladdin came out, 10+ years ago. It needs a little updating, but it's nice to sit down out of the heat.

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin -- think Dumbo ride, but with flying carpets. If I remember correctly there are two rows per carpet, holding 2-3 people per row. Watch out for spitting camels!

Swiss Family Treehouse -- Walk-through .  . . or should I say walk up and down? It's kind of cool to see the home of the Swiss Family Robertson. LOTS of narrow stairs if you have a heart issue or blood pressure issue, or even claustrophobia, don't attempt to climb this. We were there when they shut it down and emergency personnel had to rescue someone.
 
Tinker Bell's Magical Nook -- character meet and greet 

And this wraps up my Walt Disney World tips and tricks. If you have any questions, shoot them my way as I'm always happy to talk about WDW!

Later, Peeps!

Vacation--Overheard and Observed

While on vacation, we had numerous opportunities to eavesdrop. You have to remember that all these rides aren't just rides like you would find at a regular amusement park. These rides tell a story.

Here are a few gems I wrote down after a long day at the park.

Tower of Terror, at Hollywood Studios in Disney World

An elevator dropping ride. The ride is computerized to have a different sequence of drops every time.

Parent to child: "It's just like a trampoline, where go up and down. . . "

Cast member at gate, under her breath: "And up and down, and down and up, over and over."

Haunted House, Magic Kingdom at Disney World

a continuous ride through the mansion in a doom-mobile

Parent to child: "It's not scary. It's just fun stuff to look at."

. . . only if you like being creeped out in the dark.

Star Tours, Hollywood Studios at Disney World

 

3-D motion simulator ride, with different combinations of adventures

 

Kid whining about not being able to see the screen.

 

Dad turns to him, curling his fingers into a fist. "This is you shutting it."

The kid shut it.

 

 

Same kid: "Why is Yoda staring at me?"

 

Hubby under his breath: "Because you gassed everyone out with the fart you just laid."

 

Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom

 

roller coaster in the dark, each 'rocket' is two sets of three seats, front to back

 

Large woman trying to get into roller coaster seat: "Oh, I think I'm too tall."

 

My kidlet, under her breath: "I don't think it's a height issue."

 

 And:

My Kidlet: "My shirt's all wrinkled."
Hubs: "Don't worry, it will all sweaty soon."
 

The day before we left Disney, we were stuck on Space Mountain for 20 minutes.

 

My kidlet said: "It's family bonding time!"

I think we taught her well, don't you? :-)

 

And last, but not least . . .

 

Hubs to TSA agent: "Are you sure you want me to take my shoes off? I've been at a theme park all morning."

 

TSA agent was not amused!

 

Theme park wrap-up over the next few days!

 

Later, Peeps!



Wally World Tips & Tricks- Parks-- part three

Okay,  you figured out which hotel you're staying at. You've rented a car, or not. And now, you want to go to the various WDW parks. There are four parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

Here's a map to give you an idea of how the parks are situated:

And here's a more fun looking map to show you the locations of hotels compared to the parks:

Sorry about the quality. Check the Disney site for a current map.
Each park has a particular logo or landmark.

Magic Kingdom is Cinderella's Castle
Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life
Epcot is the Spaceship Earth sphere
Disney Hollywood Studios is Mickey's Sorcerer's Apprentice Magic Hat

Let's start with the most popular park--The Magic Kingdom

If you have wee little tykes, well, and even big tykes, they will want to go to Magic Kingdom (MK) first . . . the kingdom where all the princesses reside, many characters have special meet and greets, and my favorite--RIDES.

The biggest problem with going to the MK before any other park because every other park will be an emotional let-down. It all boils down to each visitor's expectations. None of the other parks come close to meeting a visitor's vision of all things DISNEY, except MK.

Don't get me wrong.

All the parks are wonderful and provide a very individual feel and style, but when people talk about going to Disney, they are really talking about going to the MK.

Here is a link to the 2013 map of the Magic Kingdom. If you happen to have an old map, then you need to realize Toon Town is no more and Fantasyland has expanded. The map is so large that I wasn't able to download it and have it be legible.

Familiarize yourself with this map. The more you can spend memorizing it the less time you waste trying to figure out what to do or where to go next. This map is available in the tunnel under the WDW railroad tracks and after you go through the turnstiles. The maps are also available in numerous languages . . . if you want to practice your foreign language or for those visitors from other countries.

So if you have one day or a few days to spend in WDW, the key is to be prepared and prioritize. If you purchased the Unofficial Guide to WDW, then they will give you all sorts of 'touring' plans to see it all, or almost all, of the park according to the time of year and traffic patterns.

Well, forget that!

Why?

Because of ALL those other people using those plans!

So how do you prioritize the park for your family?
How do you know what the height limit is for the rides?
How do you know if it's a wet ride/dark ride?
Which rides offer a fast pass?
What times do the characters have meet and greets, and where?
Which rides suggest possible motion sickness/neck and back issues?

How you figure it out is that you will do what I did--you will design a spread sheet. This section of a spreadsheet is from ten years ago when we went to Disney with our almost three year old.
Three years old is the magic number when they start charging for your child. The closer your kid is to three, the more fun everyone will have!

Rides  MK

Main Street USA

WDW Railroad

Adventureland

Swiss Family Treehouse--playground

Jungle Cruise                                            FP

Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Pirate of the Caribbean                        D

Enchanted Tiki Birds--show

Frontierland

Splash Mountain    D FP 40" SO WET

Big Thunder Mountain     FP  SO  40"

Country Bear Jamboree--show

Tom Sawyer Island--playground

Diamond Horseshoe Revue--show

Shootin' Arcade

WDW Railroad

Liberty Square

Hall of Presidents--show

Liberty Belle Riverboat

Haunted Mansion                       D  FP SC

Fantasyland

It's a Small World

Peter Pan's Flight                             D   FP

Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D--movie  FP

Cinderella's Golden Carrousel

Winnie the Pooh                                D  FP

Snow White's Adventures                     D

Ariel's Grotto--meet/greet--fountain

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Mad Tea Party                                          MS

Mickey's Toontown Fair

WDW Railroad

Mickey's Country House

Minnie's Country House

Hall of Fame--meet/greet--pictures

Barnstormer at Goofy's Farm

Donald's Boat--fountain/playground

Tomorrowland

Space Mountain                D  FP 44" SO

Indy Speedway                    52" to drive

Astro Orbiter                                           MS

Transit Authority

Carousel of Progress--show

Timekeeper--show, seasonal

Buzz's Space Ranger Spin            D   FP

Stitch's Great Escape    D  FP SC 40"

 Here is my color key to the definitions:

EXHIBITS

FOUNTAINS/PLAYGROUNDS

THEATER/SHOWS/FILMS

MEET/GREET CHARACTERS

D--Dark

MS--Motion Sickness

FP---Fast Pass

SO---Switching off option

SC---Scary



This spreadsheet was originally designed when my daughter was almost three and visited WDW for the first time. Many of the rides have changed, but you can see at a glance what the rides/shows offer. This information is available on the Disney website and the unofficial guide. Take the time to design your own spreadsheet.

Only you know what information is pertinent to your family's choices for fun. We're a ride family and rarely go to the shows, but if you like the shows, then you need to know that the lines form roughly 30+ minutes prior to the show.

Switching Off -- this is an option where one parent rides the ride and switches off by taking the child so the second parent can ride the ride. It's quite common for parents to do this, so don't feel bad if you have to switch off. Disney is all about making the experience 'magical' for every member of the family.

Fast Passes -- think before you get a Fast Pass.

1. Fast passes have return times. Check the time window for your return. Is it during a parade, or show, your daughter has her heart set on seeing? Do you have meal reservations on the other side of the park at this time? Will your kids be 'Disney'ed out' for the day and need to chillax at the hotel pool?
2. A specific number of fast passes are generated for a particular window of return time. Some of the popular rides (Toy Story at Disney Studios, for example) will run out of fast passes within an hour of opening their gates. Or the return time will be 8:00 PM. Will you really be at the park at that time?
3. Once you get a fast pass, you are locked from getting another fast pass until an hour before your fast pass is useable. For example: At 8:00 AM, you get a Fast Pass for Space Mountain with a return time of 2:00 PM. But you discover the line for Splash Mountain is 90 minutes long and you don't want to wait. You won't be able to get a fast pass for Splash Mountain until 1:00 PM. . . and, by then, the return times will be during the fireworks in the evening.
4. Some fast passes simply aren't worth it, mainly fast passes for shows--Mickey's Philharmagic,  or Stitch's Great Escape, for example. The auditoriums for the shows are HUGE, larger than you think when looking at the piles of people in the queuing areas. Don't fass yourself about it, and just plan to wait.
5. Some fast passes are worth it, BUT you miss the pre-ride areas for a particular ride. The new-and-improved Winnie-the-Pooh ride is one example. The pre-ride area has fun things for the little ones to play with in Rabbit's garden.
6. We've been known to get a Fast Pass for a later time AND then wait in line to ride the ride. Space Mountain is one we do this on. This gives us the opportunity to enjoy the queuing area with it's 'space invader' type games, but then we can usually turn right around and blow past everyone to ride the ride again.

*Hints & suggestions:

• Prepare your children to the fact that the characters are BIG. They might look small on TV, but they are big in person!
• Go early, leave early--whether it's for a nap or a swim in the pool. Everyone needs to decompress.
• Adults--stop at WalMart or a liquor store to buy adult beverages for your hotel room. You might want a beer at the Magic Kingdom, but you won't find any . . . unless they are serving it at the new Be Our Guest Restaurant in Fantasyland.
• Don't expect your little one's to be able to handle getting up early AND staying up late for the fireworks. Pick your poison, and plan to return to see it all when they are older
• Find a good seat early if you want to enjoy a parade. Sometimes you can walk up to a great place, but if it's the crowded time of year, budget some time to sit and chill.
• Keep hydrated. Florida is freaking hot and humid. Tempers flare when one is hot, hungry and tired.
• Don't push your kids to do something they don't want to do. If you have to, ride the ride first and then truthfully tell them what to expect.
• Even if you have older kids, don't miss out on some of the 'kiddie' rides. Peter Pan is NOT to be missed!
• Sometimes you can get on rides when everyone is waiting for the parade or fireworks. There's something about watching the fireworks while riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, or Astro Orbiter. Been there, done that!
• If you don't want to wait in line for Dumbo, then ride Aladdin's Magic Carpet or the Astro Orbiter, both are a similar type of ride.
• Space Mountain seats one visitor behind the other, NOT side-by-side. If you have back or neck issues, you might want to rethink this ride. Have a family member reconnoiter the ride before you get on. I love it, but  . . . it does jerk the crap out of you.
• Don't bother renting a stroller. Teach your kid to walk OR take an umbrella stroller.
• Some rides you might not be interested in, but take your time and wait in line. You've all heard of the It's a Small World song--yes, that particular earworm will stick with you the entire day!--but the ride is fun, colorful, and the kids love it.
• I didn't want to ride Peter Pan for the longest time since I never really liked the movie--GO ON THE RIDE! How many times do you get to ride in a flying ship??

That's it for now. I'm sure I've forgotten more than I wrote down. If you want more info then please ask me in the comments or email. I love Disney and will always talk about my experiences!

Later, Peeps!