ToBo on the Go Go

Last Visited: December 2023

Disney World General Tips & Considerations

• Planning is Key: Disney World is 25,000 acres of magic and wonder with 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 31 themed resorts, and Disney Springs (an outdoor shopping center). With so much to see and do, you are absolutely going to have fun, but with a little planning, you can have even more fun.
• IMPORTANT! Download the Disney World App (there is a different app for Disneyland). This will be critical for navigating your day including selecting ride times, checking in for dining reservations, and mobile ordering.
• Things Change: So make sure to check on the latest updates before you go at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com. For example, park reservations are required currently, but may not be required at some point next year. Also, early entry times for those staying at a Disney World resort are in flux. It’s a good idea to keep current by reviewing other online tips. One of my favorite resources is https://www.undercovertourist.com/  
• Disneyland and Disney World Operate Differently: What may be true for Disneyland may not be true for Disney World and vice versa (for example, the date that you can start making dining reservations may vary, though currently they both are 60 days out).
• Go Early: The best time to beat the crowds is in the morning and then late in the evening.
• Orlando International Airport (OIA): Is the gateway airport for WDW. Sadly the Disney Magic Express service was discontinued, but there are other transportation options to get you from the airport to your hotel including Uber, Lyft, and Mears Connect (with direct transportation to all WDW reports) https://www.mearsconnect.com. Update: We just purchased round trip transportation from the airport to our hotel and back again from Mears (online) for about $34 per adult using the standard service (note: they indicate that they are accessibility friendly). I will report back on our experience.
• Walt Disney World (WDW) Transportation: If you are staying at one of the Disney World resorts, there are lots of options for getting around the property and parks including buses, the Skyliner, Monorail, and water taxis/ferry boats. Transportation options vary by resort location (tip: when looking at WDW resorts they will note what transportation options are available at the location). You can explore transportation options here https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/resort-transportation/
• Payment: If you book your trip as a vacation package (for example, hotel and tickets), you only have to pay a down payment and then you can make payments so the trip is paid for before you go.

Dining

• If you are interested in dining at Disney World, reservations are currently opening 60 days prior to your ticket date (this was reduced from 90 days previously). Check your app/account for the exact date for making reservations. Reservations start opening around 6am ET (or sometimes even a few minutes earlier). If you want to eat at a specific restaurant that’s highly desirable (for example, The Blue Bayou or Be Our Guest) then set your alarm and make reservations (I find it easier to do so on desktop versus the app but this is personal preference and I have used both).
• Update: I just made dining reservations for our upcoming trip (60 days out). The reservations opened right at 6am ET. I made the reservations using my desktop as I find it easier to navigate the dates, times, and dining options. I got signed in, made sure I had a credit card on file, and started refreshing my browser a little before 6am so I could start making reservations as soon as the dates were open for booking (I could tell because the dates for the duration of our visit were available on the calendar to select our desired dining date). If you are staying at a WDW resort hotel, you’ll be able to make dining reservations for the entire duration of your stay starting on your check-in day (if you are not staying at a WDW resort hotel, you will need to make reservations 60 days out for each day, that is you won’t be able to make dining reservations for the duration of your stay, you’ll have to do them one day at a time, 60 days out for each day).
• I’m excited because we are going to try three restaurants that are going to be new for us: Takumi-Tei (EPCOT), Space 220 Lounge (EPCOT), and the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom). I will report back on our experience.
• If you’re interested in seeing characters, check out dining options that include character visits so you don’t have to wait in line (for example, Cinderella’s Royal Table). See all the WDW character dining options here https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/#/character-dining/
• If you don’t make dining reservations, you can take advantage of mobile ordering. Note that you can pick a time slot for ordering/pick up. I would recommend doing this a couple of hours before you are actually hungry so you can get a reasonable time.

Where to Stay

• I recommend staying at one of the WDW resorts (especially if you are visiting from outside of Florida) to take advantage of proximity to parks, transportation, and other perks (for example, early entry). Plus each resort has its own theme so you stay in the magic. Explore the benefits of staying at a WDW resort here https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resort-hotels-benefits/
• When choosing a resort I factor in proximity to the parks (for example, do you want to stay closer to Animal Kingdom?), transportation options (I’m a huge fan of the Skyliner and keep in mind that some resorts share transportation), and price (there are many price points to choose from). Our family has stayed at several resorts (pictured is Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort) but we keep coming back to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• Early entry (currently 30 minutes) is available again to all WDW resort guests and that is great for hitting Fantasyland (or other priority rides) before the crowds arrive. Guests staying at Deluxe Resorts or Villas can also take advantage of extended evening hours.
• If you can’t stay at a Disney World Resort, stay close by and plan to get there 30 minutes before the park officially opens. The best time to beat the crowds is in the morning and then late in the evening (though they will close off some areas of the park and stop some rides for the evening fireworks so watch and plan for that).

Maximizing Your Time

• I highly recommend paying for Genie + to save yourselves a lot of time in line allowing you to ride more rides in a day. Unlike Disneyland, you can’t bundle Genie+ with your tickets so you’ll need to purchase this the day of for your party.
• Familiarize yourself with Genie+ and how to use it before your trip so you are ready to start booking rides as soon as you enter one of the parks. View additional information and how-to videos here https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/genie/genie-plus/
• I also recommend paying extra for any rides that you want to ride that are offered as Lighting Lane a la carte (for example, Tron and Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind) if you can to avoid waiting in the standby line for those (which can be > 2 hours). Note: Each theme park will have at least one ride that is available to purchase as Lighting Lane a la carte.
• There are time constraints for when you can book your next ride through Genie +, so make note of the time or set a reminder to make sure you maximize the number of ride reservations you are able to make that day (and availability will dwindle as the day goes on).
• Make sure to have a plan for the rides that are high priority. Use the app to check waiting times so you can be as efficient as possible (or as efficient as you’d like).
• Disney World also offers enchanting extras (for example, building a lightsaber and fireworks dessert parties) that can be added for an extra dose of magic. Reservations are recommended (not a lot of options are available day of) and the extras collection can be viewed here https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/enchanting-extras-collection. Fun Memory: One year we were at WDW over New Year’s so I ordered a New Year’s Eve basket through In room Floral and Gifts and had it delivered- it was wonderful!

When to Visit

• If you are visiting any time during a school break or near a long, holiday weekend it’s going to be busy.
• I personally love visiting during Halloween (so fun!) or the winter holiday break (so beautiful!) when parks can be at their busiest. This makes planning even more important and impactful!
• If you have flexibility in scheduling, review the crowd calendar (like the one linked below) for dates when crowds are lower https://www.undercovertourist.com/orlando/crowd-calendar/ 
• Note that each park’s crowds can differ on the same day. Using a crowd calendar can also help you pick which park you want to visit on each of day of your trip.

Accessibility

• Room Reservation: If you/your party require an accessible room, make sure to book early.
• Wheelchair Rentals: Wheelchairs can be rented at each of the parks and at Disney Springs for the day on a first come first served basis. Another good option is to rent an electronic conveyance vehicle (ECV) instead (see next bullet point). Wheelchair rental information can be viewed here https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/wheelchair-rentals/
• Disney Featured Mobility Device Provider: WDW uses ScooterBug as their featured mobility device provider. They have daily and weekly rates that are reasonable and will deliver to and pick up from your WDW resort. We rented an EVC for the week of our upcoming trip. Reserving was easy (I called after viewing the options online so I could discuss the drop off and pick up logistics) and the customer service representative was knowledgeable and efficient.

Other

• Make a droid- We liked this so much we did it twice! You can pick the droid style and color, then select the pieces, assemble, and bring them to life. They also interact with the other droids in Galaxy’s Edge which is awesome!
• Make a lightsaber- This is a very cool and immersive experience for Padawans of all ages. You get to select the style, core, and color and get a very cool carrying case. It’s a bit pricey so this could be your splurge item on the trip. Make sure to make reservations as they are usually booked up the day of.
• Visit Olga’s Cantina- Not super kid friendly food options, but it has the Star Wars fan wow factor that should be experienced (as well as tasty drink concoctions)
• Check out Disney Springs- They have fun shops (like Disney’s Pin Traders, World of Disney, and The Lego Store!) and lots of other food options (Salt & Straw, Ghirardelli, and Sprinkles are our favorites for desserts) and it may be easier to get dining reservations in Disney Springs than in one of the parks.
• If you like animals, don’t miss the Safari! It’s incredibly well done and super memorable and the photos we take are adorable (see giraffe photo above)!
• Magic+ Bands: This will be our first time using magic plus bands. The setup was fairly simple, but the power button on the back was a little small for my fingers so it took a couple of tries to do the sync with my phone app. I’ll report back to ket you know how ising the bands goes for us.

Day 2- EPCOT

• Got up and purchased Lightning Lane passes at 7am for Guardian of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind. As a resort guest you can do that from your room instead of having to wait until you enter the park.
• Next we got ready and headed to the Disney Skyliner. The line was longer than expected. Make sure to give yourself additional time for the line during busy days so you can make the most of early entry.
• Once we were inside EPCOT I made a ride reservation for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure for later in the day. This was a must have ride for us as we hadn’t ridden it before. Note that Genie + will allow you to make another ride reservation 2 hours after you make the initial reservation if your reservation is longer than 2 hours away (or you can make another ride reservation as soon as you check in for the ride you reserved). This ride can have a 2+ hour wait so getting a reservation will save you a lot of waiting time.
• Then we headed for one of our very favorite rides, Mission Space. The orange version is a little more intense and the one we prefer. There was less than a 10 minute wait for that ride in the morning.
• Next we rode the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros which is a fun little boat ride in the Mexico Pavillion.
• Next up was Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind which was awesome! This is a dark, roller coaster ride with excellent Guardians of the Galaxy theming. It was exhilarating! I remember having the same feeling of excitement when I rode Space Mountain as a child.
• Lunch at Le Creperie de Paris in the France Pavilion. This was our first time eating at the restaurant and I would definitely eat here again. We enjoyed a galette (savory crepe) that reminded me of French onion soup as well as a dessert crepe. Both were delicious and well priced.
• After lunch we took the Skyliner back to our resort for a break and a nap.
• After relaxing and resting at the resort, we headed back to EPCOT on the Skyliner to make our entry time for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. It was fantastic! So adorable to be shrunken down to Remy-size and scamper around the kitchen in adorable (and trackless) cars. This is a don’t miss ride especailly for kids or any Ratatouille fan.
• Dinner at Takumi-Tei in the Japan pavilion. Wow! First of all, this was a planned splurge and is on the expensive side of Disney dining options so make sure to check the price before you book, and since this is a prix fixe meal (meaning a set menu at a set price), you’ll want to make sure everyone in your party will enjoy this experience. But what an experience it was! I had always wanted to try omakase and we were not disappointed. We had six exceptional (and absolutely beautiful) courses and the service was outstanding. Dinner took about two hours and I selected a sake flight to accompany my meal (with the excellent input from our incredible server who was from Japan). Such a delightful and delicious dining experience and one that we will never forget!
• After dinner we had time for a couple more rides before the park closed. We rode Test Track (which is a child favorite as you get to design a car and then race it) and Spaceship Earth.
• We did not end up riding Frozen (which we wanted to do time permitting but did not prioritize). This ride gets long lines and is a ride you should either get a Genie+ reservation for, go to first ting in the morning, or go to towards the end of the evening when the lines start to shorten to 30 minutes.
• After our last two rides we headed back to the Skyliner as the park was closing. The lines for the Skyliner as EPCOT was closing were massive. Fortunately the line moved swiftly, but something to keep in mind if you want to avoid waiting in a long line to get back to your resort at the end of the evening.

Day 3- Hollywood Studios

• Woke up in time to purchase Lightning Lane spots for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (available to purchase at 7am for resort guests)
• Got ready and headed to the Disney Skyliner (goes to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios)
• Entered Hollywood Studios and made Genie+ ride reservations for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run for later in the day
• Headed to Toy Story Mania during early entry and waited about 20 minutes. This is a really fun, good for all ages ride where you feel like you are at the midway while you ride along competing in a 4D shooting game. Recommend getting a Genie + reservation for this or go during early entry in the morning to avoid long lines.
• Next we rode Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith using the single rider line. We don’t mind splitting up for this ride as the experience is not diminished by not sitting together. Single rider lines can save quite a bit of time and are useful when you don’t have a time reserved.
• Then we rode Millennium Falcon using the Genie+ reservation (the pilot positions are the best and put you in the front of the ride) and afterwards went straight to ride Rise of the Resistance as our Lightning Lane purchased reservation time was open (note: you can show up about 5 minutes before the reservation timeslot and they will generally let you onto the ride).
• It’s worth taking some time to check out Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. They have done an incredible job building out this area and it is super immersive with cool ships, droids, and character sightings sprinkled throughout. We have also made a droid and built a lightsaber on other visits and enjoyed both of those activities. Oga’s Cantina is also very cool and well themed with awesome drinks (but not super kid friendly based on my experience) and a must visit for Star Wars fans.
• Lunch at 50’s Prime Time Cafe. This was the first time we had eaten here and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It felt like you were in your grandmother’s kitchen and that she was preparing the food including dishes such as pot roast, fried chicken, and meatloaf. I ended up getting the sampler plate and found it very satisfying and the meal was well priced. One thing to mention is that my child wasn’t a fan of the service shtick where they treat you like family by telling you to mind your manners, wash your hands, etc. I didn’t mind at all.
• Back to the resort via the Disney Skyliner for a break and a nap.
• Once we were back in Hollywood Studios, we went to ride the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror during our Genie+ ride reservation window (note: I booked this ride as soon as we entered Millennium Falcon). This ride has a terrific Twilight Zone theme and is a fun drop ride. One thing to be aware of is that this ride is very different from the Guardians of the Galaxy version in Disneyland, while still fun, we prefer the Guardians of the Galaxy version which is one of our favorite rides in any of the Disney parks.
• After we rode the Tower of Terror, I was able to do get a Genie+ reservation for Star Tours- The Adventure Continues before dinner. This ride is in the Echo Lake area (not in Galaxy’s Edge). This 3D motion simulated space flight is a real hoot and has several different characters and plot lines so you can experience different stories during different rides. Classic and fun.
• Dinner at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. We have eaten here many times before and find this to be a very solid, family pleasing, restaurant. Our go-tos are chicken parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs. Easy and enjoyable.
• One more ride on Star Tours using the standby line, which at this time of night was about 10 minutes.
• Left Hollywood Studios a few minutes before the park closed to avoid the lines building up for the Skyliner, then back to the resort where we grabbed some breakfast treats from the foodcourt for the morning, and then back to the room for a good night’s sleep.

Day 4- Animal Kingdom & EPCOT

• Woke up in time to purchase Lightning Lane spots for Avatar Flight of Passage (available to purchase at 7am for resort guests)
• Took a bus from the resort to Animal Kingdom early enough to take advantage of early entry
• Once in the park we made a Genie+ reservation for Na’vi River Journey. This is a beautifully done boat ride through Pandora. Even though it’s not a thrill ride, lines can be around 2 hours during busy times to ride it. I highly recommend making a Genie+ reservation for this ride to avoid the long waits.
• Since most people head to Pandora during early entry (and for those not staying at a Disney resort as soon as the park opens), and since we had already purchased Lighting Lane reservations for Avatar Flight of Passage and booked Na’vi River Journey with Genie+ we headed to one of our other favorite rides Expedition Everest- Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. When we arrived the wait time was about 5 minutes so we rode it twice. This ride also has a single rider line so that can save you time if your willing to split up and the line is long.
• After Expedition Everest, we headed to Pandora (which is stunning and immersive and worth spending time just taking in the sights) to make our Lighting Lane time for Avatar Flight of Passage. This is an amazing ride where you feel like you are riding on the back of a banshee, and a can’t miss ride especially if you are an Avatar fan. The only drawback of going through the Lighting Lane is that you miss a lot of the immersive details you walk through during the regular line like the lab with the avatars.
• Next we went to Kilimanjaro Safaris. By the time we got there the standby line was about 60 minutes long and we didn’t have a Genie+ reservation. However, we decided to wait because it is an incredible experience. It’s about a 22 minute excursion where you can see giraffes, elephants, lions, hippos, zebras and more! No two safaris are the same, and every safari is exceptional.
• Lunchtime! We ate lunch at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant which is where we eat lunch pretty much every time we come to Animal Kingdom. They have lots of family friendly options at decent prices (most entrees are between $20-$40), and I almost always get the chicken tikka masala – delicious!
• After lunch we rode Na’vi River Journey. The boat ride through Pandora’s bioluminescent rainforest was lovely. This is one of those rides that’s even better at night. In fact, if you are able to come back to the park at night (or stay in the park until evening), I highly recommend going back through Pandora to enjoy it’s illuminated splendor.
• Back to the resort via the Disney bus for a break and quick nap.
• Post nap we headed to EPCOT via the Skyliner as I was able to score reservations at Space 220 Restaurant, which is the restaurant I most wanted to dine at during our trip. This space themed establishment did not disappoint. We checked in at the “departure lounge” and then took an elevator up to the dining area where you feel like you are 220 miles above the Earth in a space station. The food, service, and atmosphere (pun intended) were exquisite. I especially loved the view of Earth and the astronauts doing all kinds of interesting activities around the space station. This was definitely worth getting up early to make reservations 60 days in advance.
• After dinner we walked over to the World Nature area and rode The Seas with Nemo & Friends. At this time of the evening there was less than a five minute wait. It’s a super cute ride with many memorable scenes from the movie and is fun for the whole family.
• We closed out the evening meandering through the new Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana outdoor trail. It exceeded my expectations and was truly magical. People of all ages were interacting with the water features and giggling and having a great time. This was a fantastic way the end the day before boarding the Skyliner to head back to our hotel.

Day 5- Magic Kingdom

• Purchased Lightning Lanes for TRON Lightcycle Run at 7am from the hotel. Note: TRON had a virtual queue option that as a Disney resort guest you can attempt to join at 7am from the hotel. I attempted to join the virtual queue at 7am but all the spots were taken within one minute so I purchased Lightning Lanes instead.
• Then we caught a bus from the hotel to the Magic Kingdom in time to make it for early entry. Once in the park I purchased Lightning Lanes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and made Genie+ reservations for Space Mountain.
• Because we had early entry we decided to head to Peter Pan’s Flight which had a standby wait time of 25 minutes (which is about the shortest standby time at any time during the day). The entry to this ride is very different from the ride in Disneyland as it has you walking through Wendy, John, and Michael’s bedrooms with special touches of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust magic and visual indicators of Peter Pan’s presence throughout. Then board the ship and off you go, second star to the right and straight on ’til morning!
• After Peter Pan’s Flight and since it was still early and the park had just officially opened, we rode a couple more rides using the standby lines before our Lighting Lane reservation time expired for TRON. We rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (20 minute wait) and then Pirates of the Caribbean (about a 40 minute wait) then headed to Tomorrowland.
• Wow! I was extremely excited to ride TRON Lightcycle Run as we had never ridden it before. It was awesome! It was a high speed rollercoaster on a lightcycle and it lived up to my high expectations. Before you board the ride you do have to put loose items in a locker but it’s pretty seamless as the lockers are inside the queue. Also, you get a cool little video of your ride afterwards that I have enjoyed rewatching multiple times. This is definitely a can’t miss ride and I only wish we would have had more time so I could have ridden it again.
• After TRON we had some time before our Genie+ reservations for Space Mountain so we went to Tomorrowland Speedway (40 minute wait via the standby line) and drove our hotrods around the course.
• We finally headed to Space Mountain for our Genie+ reservation. Space Mountain was my favorite ride at Disney World growing up and it always takes me back to being a kid when I ride it. Though I still enjoy it, I do believe the Disneyland version is slightly better.
• After riding Space Mountain we walked over to Adventureland for our lunch reservation at Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen. This was another new restaurant for us and I was excited to try it. The staff and the decor were great, but the food was just okay. We’ll probably skip Skipper Canteen on our next visit and try something else.
• Next it was time for our Lighting Lane reservations for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This ride is adorable and it’s always on my list to ride at the Magic Kingdom, but I prefer not to wait in line for it for two hours so if we can’t ride it with little wait during early entry, then I go the Lighting Lane route.
• Afterwards we took the bus back to the resort to rest a bit before we came back to the park for a few more rides and dinner.
• Once back at the Magic Kingdom, we headed to Be Our Guest restaurant in the Fantasyland area of the park. If you are fond of Beauty and the Beast then this restaurant is for you. It is modeled after the Beast’s castle with three distinct dinning areas which are all beautifully decorated. This is a more upscale and pricier dining option, but it seems to me that the prices have come down a bit from the last time we dined here a few years ago. They have a delightful, French inspired, three course prix fixe meal that is accessible even for teenagers (they also have prix fixe option for children 9 and under). They have also changed the format since our last visit. Instead of getting to meet and have a photo taken with the Beast before being seated, the Beast now makes a grand entrance and then meanders around the room greeting the guests. As we were leaving the restaurant we were lucky enough to catch the evening fireworks. We had an incredible viewpoint right in front of the entrance to the restaurant. All-in-all we had a lovely dinner and an enchanting evening.
• On our way out of the park, walking through Fantasyland all aglow, we stopped for one last ride. We ended our visit by turning into the grotto and jumping aboard a shell to ride Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid (with under a 5 minute wait). The music filled, underwater adventure was a wonderful way to close out our trip with a heart full of joyful memories in the most magical of kingdoms.