Magic Kingdom EARLY PARK ENTRY STRATEGY! But first, only 2 more days to get the discount for “A Mom’s Guide to Disney World,” the 200-page guide I wrote to help moms plan Disney! Comment the word “MAGIC” to get the link to the guide (a sneak peek) and use code “MAGIC2023” for $10 off at checkout. EARLY PARK ENTRY TIME NOTES: 5:00 AM Wakeup 5:15 AM Workout 7:00 AM Book UBER 7:15 AM Leave @fsorlando in UBER 7:30 AM Arrive in front of Disney’s Contemporary Hotel 7:30 AM Walk to Magic Kingdom using walkway! 7:35 AM First in line at kiosks 7:45 AM Enter park + Main Street US is open! Note: snap a photo in front of Cinderella’s Castle while park is empty. 7:50 AM Line up to rope drop Seven Dwarfs Mine Train 8:20 AM Rides are OPEN to start riding! … and we stayed all the way til 8:15 PM! MAGIC KINGDOM GENERAL NOTES: We rope dropped Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This is the only way to get on this ride without a line without paying. Next, we rode Peter Pan, It’s a Small World and Ariel. Fantasyland was finished and the park had barely opened. If Seven Dwarfs has a sign that says 75 minute wait when you rope drop. Ignore it! The line is actually short if you get there early, they just default to that sign. Our first Genie+ Big Thunder Mountain was then ready to ride at 10:15 AM. TRON is incredible, and now makes Magic Kingdom one of our fave parks! Skipper Jungle Canteen for dinner – food was amazing; ambiance was … okay. … And we SURPRISED the kids and decided to do EPCOT on Monday! Check my stories tomorrow! For those asking, we stay at the Four Seasons @fsorlando and love it!
For the average Joe, the nomenclature of a Disney World vacation can be confusing. Lightning lanes allow you to avoid longer lines to get to a ride faster. Genie Plus is the means through which you gain access, unless you have paid for an individual Lightning Lane, which is only available for safe attractions and does not require Genie Plus. They can be booked at 7 a. m. for hotel visitors and during park opening hours for everyone. Virtual queues for the latest and most popular attractions are free. , but it’s also open for reservations at 7 a. m. And it fills up quickly.
Do you have all that?
“I knew it was going to be complicated, but I don’t think I would have imagined the Disney Industrial Complex would be so complicated,” said Theresa Brown, a New York resident who brought a group of family members to Disney World in August. in a press release. email. ” The brain power required to perceive the jargon and the Disney landscape is monumental. “
Kirsten Andrade, a concierge travel planner for Favorite Grampy Travels, saw that need when she created the Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane Tip & Tricks Facebook Group in 2021 — which has more than 200,000 members now. After several months, she decided to launch an interactive online class, which costs $39.
“It’s kind of a combination of Zoom and school categories remotely,” said Andrade, who is in Pittsburgh. “We’ve incorporated a little pop quiz. “
Planning forums are full of stressed-out newcomers trying to decipher a virtual queue from a lightning lane, and worrying about what happens if the technology glitches out — as technology often does.
“I’ve had people call me crying,” said Jacquie Murphy, a Wilmington, N.C.-based travel planner with Kingdom Elite Travel.
Jessica Mickelson, 39, worked for years as a family therapist and now applies those skills to her Disney planning business, Well Hello Magic. Her tagline is “minimizing parental stress at the Disney parks.”
“There’s a healing touch woven into everything,” she said.
The mother of four children ages 3 to 12 created a “Magic Made Easy” course for $139, as well as free, shorter park guides, a YouTube channel, podcast, blog and social media accounts. Mickelson rarely makes a great agent: she doesn’t write e-books. She travels for anyone, but she comes with tips on how to choose an agent, pattern itineraries, Disney apps and what happens when things go wrong.
“Then I talk about realistic expectations, which is the therapist in me,” she said.
She likes her family’s trips to be low-key and flexible, with a mix of parks, hotels, and other activities. Still, her husband, Jerod, still can’t help but get into a popular Disney business: testing WiFi speed first. at 7 a. m. to make sure they have a strong connection to the eBook on time.
Murphy sees the value in Genie Plus, but wishes visitors had more transparency about the value. At Disneyland, the price varies but starts at $30. At Walt Disney World, prices vary by day and park; On Tuesdays, for example, the service costs $17 at Animal Kingdom up to $27 at Magic Kingdom or for various parks. The value reached $39 at the Magic Kingdom around Christmas, according to Disney Tourist Blog.
“I think the thing that people have the hardest time wrapping their brain around is not knowing how much it costs in advance,” Murphy said.
David Gordon, a New York City theater journalist whose wife works for a Disney subsidiary and receives reduced-price tickets, bought a $25 fast-track ticket (an individual Lightning Lane) to ride a Star Wars attraction during a Disneyland vacation. His circle of family members took advantage of Genie Plus during the Christmas holidays at Walt Disney World to skip the lines for rides with his young daughter, whom he called an “absolute changing table. “
He said he understands Disney is looking to get other people to use its apps, but many park enthusiasts don’t need to watch them on a small screen.
“It’s the only time in my life when I need to look around, take in the whole landscape and smell the flowers,” she said. “The fact that you have to be so attached to your app that you’re probably carrying an extra battery just to make sure you get on the ride, you have to do something that detracts from the total Disney experience. “
Disney said it is taking guest feedback into account and has made some adjustments to Genie Plus. The company created its own team of advisors in 2008, now a forum called DisneyPlan.
“We know everyone spends their vacation differently, and with plenty of iconic Disney attractions and reports to enjoy at Walt Disney World, we pay attention to our guests and offer them many possible options and tactics to customize them to meet their unique needs. Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee Wahler said in a statement.
In a blog post last year, the company claimed that consumers wanted to use the Genie Plus service to plan their days before a visit to the park, not just in real time, and said that could be imaginable in 2024.
“Our purpose is to give you the opportunity to spend less time making plans to go to the park and more time enjoying yourself with friends and family,” the blog reads.
Mickelson likes to visit the parks in late August and September, when kids are back in school and crowds are more manageable. “You kind of exchange the heat for the crowd level,” she said. She plans for midday breaks and rest days that let her family take advantage of non-park offerings at the resorts.
His biggest recommendation is to understand the geography of the parks and be informed so you can forget about Disney’s FOMO (fear of missing out). When booking Genie Plus, he said, it’s vital to know which attractions sell out quickly, starting with the highest ones. Order one that your family wants, and then choose other attractions in the same area.
“With the Genie Plus, you never zigzagged around the park,” he said.
Murphy recommends that climbers bring an extra power bank or mobile phone charger when they stop in the parks, as they will be spending a lot of time on their phones. He also suggests that other people “play” with the My Disney Experience app sooner. to Walt Disney World to familiarize yourself with all the features.
On the day of a layover at Disney World, Murphy suggests a sorting technique that begins at 7 a. m. On point: First, sign up for a virtual queue to access the hottest new attractions without paying extra. Then, use the Genie Plus service (which can be purchased from midnight) to decide on the lovely first stop, preferably the one where you book quickly. Finally, for those staying on Disney property, get up to two individual lightning lanes. Everyone has to wait until midnight. The park opens up to reserve those spaces.
Semanoff’s number one tip is to book a room at a Disney resort. He said it’s worth it, if only to be able to afford a seat at the most popular attractions at 7 a. m. In addition, he said that staying in the active helps to keep “the total environment alive” and allows visitors to avoid the morning traffic jams.
Their recommendations end with perhaps the most difficult recommendation to follow: “Don’t have fun! It can be stressful and annoying, so don’t forget to breathe and enjoy. “
This story has been updated.
Outsiders banned: Disney theme park trips cost a lot — more every year — and take heaps of planning to pull off. But the company has recently banned some independent tour guides from helping visitors navigate the parks, citing “unauthorized commercial activities.”
Next-level fandom: For some Disney enthusiasts, putting on a pair of Mickey Mouse ears is enough. In a practice called “Disneybounding,” they create full outfits encouraged by the characters that don’t violate regulations prohibiting adult costumes. Disney food enthusiasts had an explanation for why to rejoice when a beloved snack, Dole Whip, hits grocery stores. How does it compare to the park version?
Political crossfire: The world’s most magical position has gone political, thanks to a war with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right). While several observers have warned Disney World of leaving the Sunshine State, experts say it’s a far-fetched proposition. Sites have been forced to upload test policies to their popular programming about rides, churros, and characters.