Disney Planning Archives - Lifestyle Lisa

Disney planning update & UK Fastpass booking guide!!!

Lifestyle Lisa — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 21:39:34 +0000

With just 49 days to go (at the time of writing) until my 2017 Disney world Florida vacation, I thought I would do a mini update blog on my Disney planning, focusing this time on Fastpasses!? BECAUSE we have just booked all of ours for our entire trip!! (Thumbs!!) ??

Okay so as Luke and I are staying on Disney property this year we got to book our Fastpasses (FP) 60 days in advance, instead of the 30 days allocated to guests who are not staying on Disney property. I didn’t realise just how much of a big difference this would make, seeing as the previous 2 years we had only been able to book 30 days in advance, so I really didn’t know any difference.

Booking your FP’s couldn’t be easier, the following key steps can be used as a (UK) guide:

Download the Disney World app or visit the Disney World Website
Create an account by clicking here or if you have an account you can login by clicking here.
Once logged in you’ll need to link your Disney resort reservation or ticket reservation number with your account (depending if you are staying on or off park) this can be done here.
Once logged-in with your tickets linked you’ll be able to reserve Fastpasses 60 days before (check-in date) if you’re staying on Disney property or 30 days before if staying off Disney property. To start you’ll need to click on FastPass+ in the MyDisneyExperience section or click here.
Please note (at the time of writing) UK residents can start adding FastPasses at 12pm GMT on the 60th or 30th day.
Next you need to click on add FastPass+ and follow the on screen selections based on dates and what park you’ll be visiting.

Using the app makes everything a whole lot quicker, plus when you are actually on your vacation this app is a godsend, letting you know what reservations you have and what time, as well useful things like park maps and parade times. We logged into the My Disney app at 12pm last Saturday (exactly 60 days before we are due to travel) it took us 20 minutes to book our FP’s for our entire holiday. We even managed to get Frozen Ever After (Epcot) and Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train (Magic Kingdom), which were not available to us the previous 2 years.

Planning your Disney trip is so important when it comes to booking FastPasses, you really do need to know what park you intend on visiting in order to book the passes. The most popular rides will get booked up first, and these MAY be harder to obtain, although I might add it pretty much was only Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Frozen Ever After that we were not able to get, the rest of the rides we did manage to FP.

They have a brand new attraction at Animal Kingdom this year which is of course Pandora-The world of Avatar. Luke and I really didn’t think that we would be able to get any FP’s for the 2 new rides, Flight of Passage and the Na’vi River Journey even with the 60 day advantage. We were both very surprised that we actually did get FP’s for Flight of Passage, and actually both were available, but because the tier system we could only choose one (we went for the one with the best reviews). Luke has since checked the availability for both and there are none left!

I have to give full credit to Luke who is very good at making sure that he is sat at the laptop and is on it as soon as we able to book the passes. He always does well and manages to get us everything we want! But we do book with a plan already written out (preparation is the key!)

We love planning our vacation together and if you have caught any of my previous planning blogs, you will know that we start planning a good 5-6 months before we are due to go. I like to think I am the brains behind the planning project, although Luke would probably disagree (men!!) but I can’t deny that when it comes to dining reservations and FastPasses Luke is the guy!!!
I would recommend researching your rides before you go, as you really do not want to waste a FP on a ride such as Prince Charming’s carousel which usually has very little wait time.
End of Blog Tips

Staying on Disney property gives you a 30 day advantage over guests not staying on Disney property, with the ability to book FP’s 60 days before Disney check-in. This really can be the difference of getting a FP or not, and could end up standing in line for 80-90+ minutes for the most popular rides. Deciding if you want to stay on Disney property needs to be early on in the planning process.
Creating an account and linking your reservation number early can save you a lot of time and potential issues, don’t leave it to the last minute 🙂
FP’s for UK residents can be added at 12pm on the 60th or 30th day before check in.
Know what rides are most popular before you go and what rides you want to FP

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Disney planning update, and quick Disney park tips!!! (My Disney adventures)?

Lifestyle Lisa — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 23:40:51 +0000

Okay I am nearing the end of my Walt Disney adventures (until September 21st of this year) but before I end it I wanted to do a quick planning update and also do a quick run down of all my tips I have come across on previous trips!!…..

Wasting no time here…. let’s start!!!

Okay planning update first!! So since last Wednesday we are now in phase 2 of planning, Luke has done exceptionally well and was on the ball to book us the best dinning experiences! The planning board looks pretty good, although we are waiting for the Mickeys not so scary Halloween dates to be released, hoping that it won’t throw a spanner in our plans!!!

I found my 2015 planners so have inserted see pictures below:
Luke also ordered this great little book from the Disney website!!

This is a really handy little book to read or even take with you.

Onto the tips!!!! These are some tips that we have used over various trips that I am keen to share!!!

1) Hidden Mickeys! You will find these everywhere! In every park in random places! They are fun for everyone and will occupy all ages when waiting in a 60 minute line for a ride!! I have found an app you can download on the iPhone app at a cost of £7.99. However when I’m visiting I just like seeing how many I can spot before Luke?

2) Pressed pennies! Super fun and a great little keep sake! You will find pressed pennie machines throughout the parks, although Luke and I found a map which highlights where they are. We love collecting pressed pennies, they are a great and inexpensive souvenir. I started collecting them on my first trip way back in 1997 and introduced Luke to them in 2015!

3) Pin Trading!Okay this is pretty huge throughout the Disney parks! In every park in pretty much every gift shop they will sell Disney pins (which all vary in price) the rarer ones are obviously more expensive. You can either attach your pins to a lanyard but I have also seen them pinned onto backpacks, bags, clothes and even baseball caps. Cast members also have their pins displayed on a lanyard, if you see a pin that a cast member has that you don’t and you would like it, you can ask to trade a pin for a pin! They cannot refuse a trade so long as it fits within Disney Pin Trading rules! (Yes there are rules). You can also trade with other park guests. Approach a guest wearing a lanyard and ask them if they are open to trading. If that person agrees, any pin that is on the lanyard is generally available for a trade. Now although Luke and I have pins we have never taken part in pin trading, this is purely because all the pins we buy we really like, and also I don’t really have time to trade!!! You will find a number of websites that will go through the pin trading rules and etiquette.

General tips for Magic Kingdom

1) Ride at the back of thunder mountain and try if you can to ride it in the dark…. trust me it’s a much wilder experience!

2) Shops on Main Street are open up to an extra hour after the park closes….perfect for a little last minute late night shopping!

3) Ride Dumbo at night!!! Just for the beautiful view of the park and the amazing picture opportunities.

4) Fun fact, you will never be more than 30 steps away from a trash can….Hey we tried and tested this!!

5) I have heard that if you ride the jungle cruise at night and there are fewer children on, then you are in for a wild ride!

6) When riding splash mountain sit to the left to stay dry and the right to get wet!…. tried and tested!

My top 2 quick service non reservation restaurants here at Magic kingdom are:

Cosmic rays starlight cafe and caseys corner.

And my top Magic kingdom snacks go too:

Sleepy hollow funnel cake, Dole Whip and the Mickey Mouse pretzel!

Top tips for Epcot

1) DONT RUSH THE PARK! I cannot stress enough that Epcot will need 2 days in order to see and do everything!

2) When visiting the world showcase try and embrace the culture, we love nothing more than sampling some of the quisine on offer that we wouldn’t usually eat!

3) On the lower level of the Japan pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase, check out Mitsukoshi, a great store selling candy, chopsticks, toys, etc. it was here I bought some dried squid (just to be different and try something new) and Luke somehow managed to convince my dad it was candy floss in order to get him to try it!….I also bought some ramune a very popular and delicious Japanese soda, FYI grape is the best flavour!

4) Don’t forget to check out club cool!

5) You can collect passport stamps for every country visited, in your Epcot passport!

Best snacks in Epcot:

The croissant donut,bubble tea and school bread which can be found in Norway!

General Tips

1) Always carry ID with you

2) Take a picture of your parking lot character and number, trust me at the end of a long day this will come in handy!

3) Ye old Christmas shop in Magic kingdom is brilliant for unique souvenir ideas

4) Travelling with wheel chair dependant family, then head over to Guest relations at Magic kingdom for wheelchair access and badges.

5) Florida has the most amazing sunshine but everyday around 3pm it rains! Sometimes light rain sometimes torrential. Be prepared and pack a poncho!

6) You can take your own snacks into the park! And you can also get free ice water in any park, just ask!

So I could literally go on for hours and hours and research more and more tips to add in here, but I’d be here forever! I look forward to getting some new tips from my up and coming trip in September, and blogging all about them.

Next week I will be returning with my Florida adventures and everything you need to know about escaping the Disney bubble.

Thank you for reading, I appreciate all the positive comments too.

Until next week, that’s me

Little miss keeping it real?

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My TOP 10 RIDES! (My Disney adventure)

Lifestyle Lisa — Sat, 18 Feb 2017 20:23:14 +0000

It’s Walt Disney Wednesday and that can only mean ONE thing…. I’m back with a new blog, and this time it’s dedicated to my TOP 10 RIDES at WDW! ?So excited for this one, so let’s get going!
Now before I start CANNOT stress enough that this is my personal opinion only!
Here we go
10:Haunted Mansion: This is a ride which takes you through the haunted manor resided by 999 happy haunts in vehicles called “Doom buggies”Over 15 rooms are waiting to be explored within the brick-draped walls of this darkened, spirit-infested abode. You will find the haunted mansion located in liberty square at the Magic kingdom. This is somewhat of a classic feature to the park and earns the number 10 spot on my list because I love Halloween and spooky things, and love nothing more than a good old haunted house! The eerie manor and the dusty decor inside add to the atmosphere, oh and if you happen to make it through the mansion, be warned that 3 phantoms await you at the exit and shall surely follow you home—but not before performing ghoulish new pranks to keep you in good spirits! The ride time is roughly 8 minutes long, and I would suggest a fastpass for this attraction. A little fun fact for this ride-If the wait time shows 13 minutes then you will almost definitely be able to walk straight on the ride with little or no queue.
9:Seven Dwarfs mine train:This is a family friendly roller coaster ride, you will find in Fantasyland,where you board a mine train and follow a winding path through the Enchanted Forest and make your way inside the rocky tunnel of an age-old mountain. This is a fairly new attraction which opened in 2014, fastpasses for this ride go very very quickly and you could find yourself in for a 80 minute plus wait if you are not lucky enough to get one! I personally don’t feel the ride is worth an 80 minute wait, it’s very short, it never really seems to go anywhere despite having some twists and turns. I’m not really sure why it so popular, I find it quite disappointing once riding it. Nevertheless I would ride it again, but for this reason it earns a spot at number 9!
8:Splash MountainThis Is a log flume with some dark scenes, situated in Frontier land at the Magic Kingdom.Based on the characters, stories, and songs from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South. What begins with a peaceful outdoor ride causualy going along, takes you into a dark cave, with a climactic steep drop into a “briar patch” followed by an indoor finale of a 50 feet drop! WOW! Okay so I like this ride it’s more than just your typical log flume, as it tells a story along the way (although I am not overly familiar with the characters from song of the south) the surprise drop which happens in the cave is a bit of a shock first time round you are never expecting it! And of course there’s the 50ft drop at the end which gives you a bit of an adrenaline rush!. I’d recommend a fastpass for this ride, and watch out for the time you book it as you will get wet!!
7:Thunder Mountain:This is a mine train roller coaster that you will find in Frontierland. The back story for this ride is that some time in the late 1800s, gold was discovered on Big Thunder Mountain in the American Southwest. Overnight, a small mining town known as tumbleweed town became a thriving mining town. Mining was prosperous, and an extensive line of mine trains was set up to transport the ore. Unknown to the settlers, the Mountain was a sacred spot to local Native Americans and was cursed! Now I believe this ride is actually better at night! It appears faster and you get thrown around a lot more. I rode this at night during the Mickeys not so scary Halloween celebrations, and then rode it during the day a few days later and myself and Luke both decided that at night was the way forward! For me this is another classic attraction , my mum and dad did this ride back in the early 80’s at Disney Land whilst vacationing in California, and told me about before my first trip to Disney world in 1997, so I was very excited to finally get to ride it myself. I think it is a little dated, but has recently gone under construction so I am super excited to ride it when I go in September!
6:Space Mountain:
This is a space-themed indoor roller coaster attraction located in tomorrow land at the Magic kingdom. Space Mountain opened in 1975 and is the oldest operating roller coaster in the state of Florida. Okay yes it’s old (this concerns my boyfriend a little) but it’s a great ride, very fast, great drops, and the fact that it’s pitch black in there makes every twist and turn a complete surprise! It’s definitely worthy of the number 6 spot.
5:Test Track:
This is a high speed racing car attraction at Epcot. The ride is a simulated excursion through the rigorous testing procedures that General Motors use to evaluate its concept cars. The beginning bit of this attraction bores me a little as part of the queue system incorporates you designing your own custom concept vehicle at an interactive design kiosk, so you will choose all your car’s features. Note: if you choose to use the FastPass or Single Rider lines, you will skip this process and will use a custom car designed for you. Once this part is over I love the actual ride itself as you pass through the attraction in a six-passenger SimCar, but your design follows you through the ride in a virtual sense. At the end, you will find out how your design compares to the SimCar in the areas of Capability, Efficiency, Responsiveness and Power. The highlight of this attraction was (and still is) a speed trial on a track around the exterior of the Test Track building at a top speed of 64.9 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest Disney theme park attractions ever built. Unfortunately once again I find this ride a little short which is why it gets my number 5 spot.
4:Soarin:Ahhhhh soarin! I have a lot of love for this ride! You will find it inside the land pavilion at Epcot. the idea is that you are about to take flight in a glider around the world. This is further reinforced in the theming that you are loaded into “gates” and with airport-themed spiels which reference “Flight 5505”, which is a homage to the opening day of the attraction. The cast members wear costumes that resemble flight attendant costumes too. Once seated in your glider your feet are left dangling, you are lifted into the air and your breathtaking journey begins! I can’t get enough of this ride, it amazes me every single time I ride it!
3:Rock n Roller coaster: This is an enclosed roller coaster ride which accelerates from 0 to 57 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds (making this the second-fastest attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort, behind only Test Track). You as the rider will experience 4.5 G as you enter the first inversion, more than an astronaut does on a space shuttle launch!…. intense! The cars you sit in are made out to be stretched limos and Aerosmith tunes blast out as you make your was through the loops and inversion! Unfortunately this also seems to be the shortest ride in the park, it’s over so quickly that if you blink you miss it! My boyfriend Luke particularly likes this ride but for me it’s gets the number 3 spot.
2:Expedition Everest:This is a steel roller coaster which you will find at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The ride is themed around the Yeti hiding in Mount Everest. It is listed in the 2011 book of Guinness World Records as the most expensive roller coaster in the world. Including sets and extras, its total cost was reported to be US$100 million, following 6 years of planning and construction. This is an amazing thrill ride, full of unexpected twists, turns and drops! When you reach the top of the mountain you can get the most amazing view of the whole park!…. although you also get the full view of how high up you actually are! The queue line is equally as interesting and starts at the office of the fictional “Himalayan Escapes” travel agency, progressing to a replica temple with little holy figures. You next enter a tea garden, followed by a room with equipment from a successful expedition, and then the “Yeti Museum”, which contains information on the Yeti and a moulding of a Yeti footprint. This ride is very fast the drops are steep, it doesn’t go upside down, but everytime I ride this there is a section of the ride in the dark where I swear it feels like you are going upside down! It is the weirdest feeling! This earns its number 9 spot because this is a longer ride than some of the others at 2 minutes 50 seconds, it’s fast it’s thrilling, it’s basically everything I want from a ride!
1:Tower of Terror:The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, commonly known as the Tower of Terror(or as I like to call it terror tower) is an accelerated drop tower dark ride located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So riders get into a seemingly ordinary elevator and as you begin your journey you will get the told the fictional backstory in which people have mysteriously disappeared from the elevator under the influence of some supernatural element many years prior. As you begin your accent to the top it’s very disorienting as it’s so dark so you have no idea how high you are climbing, but it feels like you are going higher and higher until you stop, lift doors then open , you hear and loud shattering of glass, and………..? no my lips are sealed!! Anticipation is just one of the many reasons this is my number 1 ride! Having originally rode this back in 1997 when the ride featured just one drop, I instantly loved it! And now having done this ride a total of 10 times over 4 trips I still get the same feelings of anticipation and nervousness before riding it, even though I know exactly what will happen and when. I also love throwing my arms in the air for the photo opportunity and trusting that my lap belt will keep me safely in place!! The elevator drops at a top speed of 39 miles per hour,Randomized patterns of drops and lifts have been added, where the ride vehicle will drop or rise various distances at different intervals. The Hollywood hotel itself is a spectacular site, situated at the end of Hollywood boulevard and is the 2nd tallest structure found at the Disney resorts. At 199 tower of terror just missed out to Expedition Everest who stands at 199.5 feet! I really can’t give this attraction enough praise! It’s certainly my best thrill ride! Don’t forget your fastpass!!!
So there you have it MY ?10 rides at Walt Disney world.
I have to take this moment to give a special shout out to both mine and Luke’s parents who tackled all of the rides at the parks. But as you can see from some of my pictures Luke’s mum was less than impressed with some of the things we got her on, but she never gave in, and with some gentle persuasion we got her on them! 2 impressive up ????
This list was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be, honestly all rides at Disney are brilliant, and you really should try them all before you decide on your own top 10.
I’m done for another week, but I’ll be back next week with a brand new Disney blog.
Until then you know what to do
Enjoy the read, like, comment, share, and subscribe!!!!! Link is on my blog page!
Until next time
Little miss keeping it real ?

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