3. Special event tickets are always available at the gate on the day of the event
Image: Disney
It’s true that special, hard-ticketed events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Night of Joy and others have a large capacity. However, that doesn’t mean that if you show up at the gate right before an event kicks off, you’ll automatically be able to attend. In fact, the unfortunate reality is that if guests try this technique, they will probably be turned away.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a great example of this, as the week of Halloween typically sells out far before these event days actually take place. In fact in 2015, the final 10 parties of the year sold out by mid-October, in some cases nearly three weeks before an event night was scheduled to take place. Though there are still some occasions where guests can purchase tickets on the same day as an event, this has become the exception rather than the rule. If you are planning to go to a special event, do yourself a favor and buy the tickets as much in advance as possible.
4. FastPass+ reservations mean no waiting
Image: Theme Park Tourist, Flickr (license)
When you have a FastPass+ reservation, it’s easy to feel like you’re the king of the world, bypassing the regular line and waltzing right on to rides like Soarin' with no waiting whatsoever. However, anyone who has any experience with FastPass+ (especially on busy days) knows that this isn’t always the case. In fact, during the beginning of return time windows, FastPass+ lines can get quite large, often overflowing beyond the regular queue as guests all hurry to see their favorite attraction.
So, for instance, if you are planning on rushing off to see a 12:00PM showing of Disney Junior Live on Stage after an 11:35 FastPass+ reservation for Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you might want to rethink your plans, as there’s no way that you’ll be able to experience this attraction in less than half an hour, FastPass+ reservation or not.
While FastPass+ reservations will definitely reduce the amount of time guests spend in line, it will by no means get rid of the waiting, especially at popular attractions, which makes it important to plan accordingly.
5. Your day will go exactly as planned
Image: Theme Park Tourist, Flickr (license)
The Walt Disney World vacation experience has changed substantially over the past five years, with guests now being encouraged to plan what parks they will visit, the attractions they will hit and the food that they will eat months in advance.
However, even though guests might have every single detail of their Walt Disney World visit planned as far in advance as possible, it’s important to factor in at least some flexibility as things can change very quickly. Attractions can break down, outdoor character meet and greets may move indoors (or be cancelled) due to inclement weather, or worse. Though it’s rare, a FastPass+ outage can even happen! Though Walt Disney World goes out of its way to make every visit to the resort magical, there are plenty of things beyond their control that could force guests to adjust their plans. Knowing this ahead of time and being able to adapt your plans to any situation is vital if you want to truly enjoy your next visit to the resort.
Are there any dangerous "myths" or bad advice that you've heard at Walt Disney World?
Comments
Here's a fun tip. Before we bought DVC, we would rent a townhouse in Windermere. Instead of driving all the way down south to pick up World Drive, we would simply come in the back gate (Center Drive) off Reams Road. We could get from the townhouse to the MK parking lot in ten minutes. If you've ever driven south on Floridian Way you may have noticed a "turn here" sign a few hundred feet before the MK toll booths. Not knowing where we were going the first time, we followed the sign and turned left. The result is we completely avoided the toll booths and thus the toll. This is a legit left turn, sign and all. With the new parking construction I expect this hidden perk to go away but it saved us a couple of bucks over the years.
I've always noticed this entry to the MK parking lot and wonder how many people use it. We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter this year and used the 'back way' to get to the MK parking lot, so convenient!