walt disney world Archives - Page 4 of 10

Free Dining Offer is a GREAT Deal (Maybe)

Archivedining, disney dining plan, trip planning, walt disney world

If you have read my previous article on the Disney Dining Plan, you know that I am not a huge fan. From a pure financial standpoint, most people are better off paying for meals out of pocket. You really have to work to come out ahead. Despite that, the Disney Dining Plan remains a popular option. What is even more popular is Disney's Free Dining offer. Pre-COVID, Disney offered a deal where, if you paid full price for a WDW vacation package (resort + tickets), Disney would give you either the Quick Service Dining Plan or the Disney Dining Plan…

Best Genie+ Ride Selections For Each Park

Archivegenie+, rides, trip planning, walt disney world

Throughout its history, Walt Disney World has had a number of different "skip the line" schemes. First it was "FastPass", where you had to retrieve a paper pass at the ride entrance to get a return time. Then, the next iteration was "FastPass Plus", where you could reserve your return times in advance online. Now we have Genie+. Each scheme brought with it its own strategies for maximizing their benefit. I still remember how people "rope dropped" the Toy Story Mania FastPass ticket machines at Hollywood Studios, since they ran out of return times so quickly. If you were to…

Get Ready for Park Reservation, Park Hopper Changes Starting January 9, 2024

Archivepark hopping, park reservations, trip planning, walt disney world

Earlier this year, Disney announced that they were doing away with park reservations at Walt Disney World for most guests, starting on January 9, 2024. They followed this announcement up with news that the 2pm restriction on park hopping was also going away. As you can imagine, the elimination of both park reservations and the 2pm park hopping restriction were met with much rejoicing in the WDW fan community, as both of these policies were about as popular as The Black Cauldron. Since January 9, 2024 is almost upon us, I thought it would be useful to review these two…

Banshee’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Refurb Recommendation

Archiverides, walt disney world

[Say that five times fast!] So Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is offline for repairs again. And seemingly it's down until Summer 2024. That got me thinking: Banshee, would you re-theme it while it's down? If so, what would you do? If the repairs are so extensive that the coaster is down for six months, then I think now is the perfect time for a re-theming. Now hear me out… I love the ride as is. I like Aerosmith and the high energy music. But as Steven Tyler says in the pre-show, “hold on… I love that idea!” And I have seen multiple ideas people have…

Walt Disney World Attraction Access For Those With Mobility Issues

WDW With Disabilitiesdisabilities, walt disney world

Our Little Banshee usually tours Walt Disney World in a wheelchair with me, Buster, pushing her. Although she is generally able to walk on her own, because of her Phelan-McDermid Syndrome she has low muscle tone and her coordination is not the best. Spending a complete day walking in a theme park, especially one as big as Walt Disney World, would be a challenge both for her and for us. This gives us quite a bit of firsthand experience with navigating the attractions with someone with mobility issues. This article will provide an overview of what you can expect at…

DISNEY 101: Walt Disney World Theme Parks

Disney 101parks, trip planning, walt disney world

DISNEY 101 is our ongoing series where we talk about the basics of some aspect of a Walt Disney World vacation. You can read more of our previous DISNEY 101 articles here. In this installment, we will provide an overview of the main reason why people come to Walt Disney World: the theme parks! Walt Disney World is pretty unique among theme parks. It isn't just one park. it is an entire entertainment complex. There are four theme parks, two water parks, and a dedicated dining and shopping district (which some people might consider to be a theme park in…

Planning an EPIC 25th Wedding Anniversary Trip!

Archivetrip planning, walt disney world

2024 is a special year for Buster and the Banshee. In March, we will be celebrating 25 years of marital bliss! To commemorate a quarter century together as a married couple, we will be taking a trip to, where else.... Walt Disney World! Why Walt Disney World? There are a couple of reasons why we have decided to celebrate in Walt Disney World. First, one of our first big trips as a couple was to Walt Disney World, back in 1997. Banshee has just graduated from veterinary school. She had always wanted to go to WDW but never had that…

Tips for Having a STRESS FREE Walt Disney World Vacation

Trip Planningtrip planning, walt disney world

Vacations, especially Walt Disney World vacations, are supposed to be fun. However, if you spend any time reading WDW message boards, Facebook groups, blogs comments, etc, you would think that planning a Walt Disney World vacation is anything but. I frequently see posts where people are frazzled about doing the wrong thing. Somehow, they have convinced themselves that just one misstep is going to absolutely RUIN their vacation. I get it. For most people a Walt Disney World is not cheap. That puts a lot of pressure on oneself to make sure that you are absolutely getting the most for…

Service Animals at Walt Disney World

WDW With Disabilitiesdisabilities, walt disney world

There are many people who travel to Walt Disney World who require a service animal. WDW, like most public places, accommodates these animals in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). This article discusses some of the things that you need to know before you bring your service animal to Walt Disney World. Hopefully, this will also educate those without service animals about the law surrounding them, in order to eliminate misconceptions and prevent conflicts. Service Animals and the Law What is a Service Animal? The Americans With Disabilities Act defines a service animal as follows: "Service animals are…

Five Reasons Why Animal Kingdom is the Best Park

Archiveanimal kingdom, parks, walt disney world

UPDATE: New on Patreon is our new "Fun Animal Kingdom Itinerary (Without Genie+) Infographic. See the end of this article for more details! Sometimes I feel like Animal Kingdom is the "black sheep" of the Walt Disney World theme park family. It is often referred to as a "half day park". In addition, it is most frequently mentioned as the park to skip if you are taking a short trip (which I guess would make it a "zero day park"). People just seem to want to poop on poor Animal Kingdom. No more! I am here to provide my spirited…