Disney! Wheeee!

[skullman80]

Anyone have tips on best way to get tickets...or any extras we should definitely get?

[nocera]

Look into Disneyland After Dark. That’s returning this year and might be worth the buy. Get your dining reservations asap as the big ticket restaurants will sell out quick. Although I was very underwhelmed with Blue Bayou.

[LITT]

AKL is too remote/expensive for what you get IMO. We recently stayed at pop and the ease of access to the skyliner is tops. Our room was a little tight with a crib and a tandem stroller. We would have gone with an art of animation suite if it was available. The price point and skyliner access for AoA/pop cannot be beat.

We stayed at bay lake tower recently as well and the ability to walk to MK and also have your own private security check point is very nice.

It depends on what you are looking for. I have a travel
Agent we’ve used for our last two trips who has knocked it out of the park id highly recommend her

[tifosi77]

I tried every day (sometimes at 5 or 6 different points in a single day) for the full 90 days of the reservation window to book Blue Bayou, and didn't get it. On check-in we spoke to a Cast Member for help booking and she was like "Do you have the Disneyland app?" and I was like 'Yo, that's not why we're asking you for help, sparky.' Anyway, about a week before the day we were able to get Napa Rose as a Plan B, and it ended up being really excellent..... and we didn't have to deal with the park to get to it. I still want to do BB, but it might be better as more of a splurgey lunch.

However you get your tickets, just remember that (at least for the time being) you will still also have to book a reservation for the actual day(s) of your trip. I believe tickets are sort of open ended as to when you can use them, but they can't be converted to a park entry unless you have a reservation for the specific day you want to use it. (Like, the ticket is good for one entry between date of purchase and 12/31/9999) The reservation system has been met with............ let's call it 'pushback' by Guests, but if you're going this year, plan on making reservations in addition to buying the tickets. (They don't cost anything extra, but you still have to make them)

Download the park app, and use it to manage everything. Link you tickets once you scan in at the main entrance, and then you can buy Lightning Lane/Genie+, join virtual queues for attractions, make food orders (which you can do in advance), even handle most merch purchases. You can do all of that and pay for everything through the app using a linked credit card. The last handful of times I've been to DLR/DCA I was completely app-based, and it's just a different level of..... relaxing isn't the right word, but not having to handle your wallet and stuff or stand in a long checkout line just removes a little bit of the stress of being in that environment. (Psychologically it also makes it easier to part you with your money, but that's maybe for a different kind of Disney thread.)

[tifosi77]

Also remember: 2023 is the centenary of The Walt Disney Company. There will be a lot of good once-in-a-lifetime type things that will be going on throughout the year, unique character costumes, merch, all manner of shenanigans. I'm sure some of the parades will be custom. Be sure to check into that stuff.

[Stoosh]

You guys that have been to WDW recently, did you use the Mears bus service? At $32 round trip it seems like a pretty good deal and cheaper than an Uber, but the "limited stops" would have me concerned.

We used Mears for standard service on both of our recent trips and it was OK.

We used them for round-trip and they're very punctual for the trip back to the airport. If they say they're picking you up at your resort at 4am for your 6:30am flight home, they're there before 4am. Drivers were also very polite.

I did have a couple of complaints/frustrations. If you're not familiar with MCO and the old Magical Express shuttle that they replaced, finding Mears's location at MCO can be an adventure. I wish I would have seen this video before our trip because this does a good job telling you where you need to go:

Also, you can get stuck waiting even after finding the bus. On our first trip, we got on the bus and were on our way to the resort within about 15 minutes. Second trip wasn't so lucky....we boarded the bus and waited at least 30 minutes before it finally departed.

Mears makes stops at multiple resorts so how long your ride takes depends on where your resort falls on the driver's list. On the first trip, I think it too about an hour from boarding at MCO to drop-off at Pop Century. On the second trip we took, I'm not kidding when I say that it took more than 90 minutes from the time we got on the bus at MCO until we were dropped off at Gran Destino Tower. Not only were we the last stop of that driver's route but I don't think my man never cracked 45 on the expressway. I didn't need to see every single blade of grass between MCO & the resorts, but I'm pretty sure we did. I hate complaining because the driver was really nice, but it was frustrating because this happened on the back of a 3+ hour flight delay that morning.

All in all, it's not bad. We may ask our agent for other options for our next trip but I wouldn't hesitate to use them again now that we know where to go to find the busses and what to expect as far as potential delays. If you get delayed, just be patient because like I said, everyone we dealt with at Mears was very nice.

Magical Express had cult-like status as one of the "Disney Magic" things, so a lot of people disliked Mears from the outset despite the fact that all they really did was remove the branding (same buses and many of the same drivers, from what we were told). To that end, we were there for our second trip just weeks after the "IGER'S BACK" announcement and our driver back to the airport said Magical Express will be back, likely before the end of 2023.

[nocera]

Thanks for that report and you convinced me to use Lyft. 90 minutes between MCO and your hotel? Ain't nobody got time for that.

[CBear3]

I'll forever boycott Mears because the Mears sponsored car crashed me out of the lead of the largest R/C race in the world. csb

[nocera]

[CBear3]

We had to delay our 3/15 trip due to some family medical stuff, so bad for near death experiences but good for riding Tron?!?

[LITT]

You guys that have been to WDW recently, did you use the Mears bus service? At $32 round trip it seems like a pretty good deal and cheaper than an Uber, but the "limited stops" would have me concerned.

We used Mears for standard service on both of our recent trips and it was OK.

We used them for round-trip and they're very punctual for the trip back to the airport. If they say they're picking you up at your resort at 4am for your 6:30am flight home, they're there before 4am. Drivers were also very polite.

I did have a couple of complaints/frustrations. If you're not familiar with MCO and the old Magical Express shuttle that they replaced, finding Mears's location at MCO can be an adventure. I wish I would have seen this video before our trip because this does a good job telling you where you need to go:

Also, you can get stuck waiting even after finding the bus. On our first trip, we got on the bus and were on our way to the resort within about 15 minutes. Second trip wasn't so lucky....we boarded the bus and waited at least 30 minutes before it finally departed.

Mears makes stops at multiple resorts so how long your ride takes depends on where your resort falls on the driver's list. On the first trip, I think it too about an hour from boarding at MCO to drop-off at Pop Century. On the second trip we took, I'm not kidding when I say that it took more than 90 minutes from the time we got on the bus at MCO until we were dropped off at Gran Destino Tower. Not only were we the last stop of that driver's route but I don't think my man never cracked 45 on the expressway. I didn't need to see every single blade of grass between MCO & the resorts, but I'm pretty sure we did. I hate complaining because the driver was really nice, but it was frustrating because this happened on the back of a 3+ hour flight delay that morning.

All in all, it's not bad. We may ask our agent for other options for our next trip but I wouldn't hesitate to use them again now that we know where to go to find the busses and what to expect as far as potential delays. If you get delayed, just be patient because like I said, everyone we dealt with at Mears was very nice.

Magical Express had cult-like status as one of the "Disney Magic" things, so a lot of people disliked Mears from the outset despite the fact that all they really did was remove the branding (same buses and many of the same drivers, from what we were told). To that end, we were there for our second trip just weeks after the "IGER'S BACK" announcement and our driver back to the airport said Magical Express will be back, likely before the end of 2023.

we did lyft. its more expensive but removes the variables mentioned above and gets you right to your resort

[nocera]

The POVs from Shanghai look awesome (though way too short). We're talking about going for a few days this summer. I can't wait to ride it.

[nocera]

You guys that have been to WDW recently, did you use the Mears bus service? At $32 round trip it seems like a pretty good deal and cheaper than an Uber, but the "limited stops" would have me concerned.

We used Mears for standard service on both of our recent trips and it was OK.

We used them for round-trip and they're very punctual for the trip back to the airport. If they say they're picking you up at your resort at 4am for your 6:30am flight home, they're there before 4am. Drivers were also very polite.

I did have a couple of complaints/frustrations. If you're not familiar with MCO and the old Magical Express shuttle that they replaced, finding Mears's location at MCO can be an adventure. I wish I would have seen this video before our trip because this does a good job telling you where you need to go:

Also, you can get stuck waiting even after finding the bus. On our first trip, we got on the bus and were on our way to the resort within about 15 minutes. Second trip wasn't so lucky....we boarded the bus and waited at least 30 minutes before it finally departed.

Mears makes stops at multiple resorts so how long your ride takes depends on where your resort falls on the driver's list. On the first trip, I think it too about an hour from boarding at MCO to drop-off at Pop Century. On the second trip we took, I'm not kidding when I say that it took more than 90 minutes from the time we got on the bus at MCO until we were dropped off at Gran Destino Tower. Not only were we the last stop of that driver's route but I don't think my man never cracked 45 on the expressway. I didn't need to see every single blade of grass between MCO & the resorts, but I'm pretty sure we did. I hate complaining because the driver was really nice, but it was frustrating because this happened on the back of a 3+ hour flight delay that morning.

All in all, it's not bad. We may ask our agent for other options for our next trip but I wouldn't hesitate to use them again now that we know where to go to find the busses and what to expect as far as potential delays. If you get delayed, just be patient because like I said, everyone we dealt with at Mears was very nice.

Magical Express had cult-like status as one of the "Disney Magic" things, so a lot of people disliked Mears from the outset despite the fact that all they really did was remove the branding (same buses and many of the same drivers, from what we were told). To that end, we were there for our second trip just weeks after the "IGER'S BACK" announcement and our driver back to the airport said Magical Express will be back, likely before the end of 2023.

we did lyft. its more expensive but removes the variables mentioned above and gets you right to your resort

Any chance you remember the round about cost of that?

[LITT]

You guys that have been to WDW recently, did you use the Mears bus service? At $32 round trip it seems like a pretty good deal and cheaper than an Uber, but the "limited stops" would have me concerned.

We used Mears for standard service on both of our recent trips and it was OK.

We used them for round-trip and they're very punctual for the trip back to the airport. If they say they're picking you up at your resort at 4am for your 6:30am flight home, they're there before 4am. Drivers were also very polite.

I did have a couple of complaints/frustrations. If you're not familiar with MCO and the old Magical Express shuttle that they replaced, finding Mears's location at MCO can be an adventure. I wish I would have seen this video before our trip because this does a good job telling you where you need to go:

Also, you can get stuck waiting even after finding the bus. On our first trip, we got on the bus and were on our way to the resort within about 15 minutes. Second trip wasn't so lucky....we boarded the bus and waited at least 30 minutes before it finally departed.

Mears makes stops at multiple resorts so how long your ride takes depends on where your resort falls on the driver's list. On the first trip, I think it too about an hour from boarding at MCO to drop-off at Pop Century. On the second trip we took, I'm not kidding when I say that it took more than 90 minutes from the time we got on the bus at MCO until we were dropped off at Gran Destino Tower. Not only were we the last stop of that driver's route but I don't think my man never cracked 45 on the expressway. I didn't need to see every single blade of grass between MCO & the resorts, but I'm pretty sure we did. I hate complaining because the driver was really nice, but it was frustrating because this happened on the back of a 3+ hour flight delay that morning.

All in all, it's not bad. We may ask our agent for other options for our next trip but I wouldn't hesitate to use them again now that we know where to go to find the busses and what to expect as far as potential delays. If you get delayed, just be patient because like I said, everyone we dealt with at Mears was very nice.

Magical Express had cult-like status as one of the "Disney Magic" things, so a lot of people disliked Mears from the outset despite the fact that all they really did was remove the branding (same buses and many of the same drivers, from what we were told). To that end, we were there for our second trip just weeks after the "IGER'S BACK" announcement and our driver back to the airport said Magical Express will be back, likely before the end of 2023.

we did lyft. its more expensive but removes the variables mentioned above and gets you right to your resort

Any chance you remember the round about cost of that?

it was uber and we did uber XL because of the two car seats - 52 bucks each way without tip

[LITT]

also if you are any disney facebook groups a lot of them haev private services theyve used and pretty sure its cheaper than that ai just never remember in time to arrange

[DigitalGypsy66]

Looks like complimentary parking is back for Disneyland and Disney World resort guests, which also means resort guests can park at the parks for free.

Disney World guests can now go without reservations (after 2 PM) as well.

[tifosi77]

We've been in a stretch of torrential rain here for the last several weeks. I had park reservations for us and three guests yesterday that had been on the books since November; of course we still went. lol

We had a ton of fun, but I did learn some valuable lessons about my overestimation of the water resistant properties of some of my articles of outerwear. "Tif, do want your poncho?", "Nah, I've got my waterproof jacket and this hat." Narrator: It was not waterproof. (I've been less waterlogged after bathing.)

Guest volume was maybe 25% of normal, and Rise was still a 50 minute wait at 10 am. Meanwhile, Pirates and Soarin' were practically walk-on affairs.

[LITT]

are there any dvc members here?

[Stoosh]

are there any dvc members here?

Not yet, at least. We're thinking about it and just starting to look into it.

We've been told that in general, if you plan on going twice within a 12-18 month span, it's at least worth looking into, depending on the level of the resorts where you usually like to stay.

The last part of that may be the issue for us because for the short term, we're pretty comfortable staying at Pop Century because of the cost and convenience with the proximity to the Skyliner. In our two recent trips, we found out we were in the parks way longer than we expected to be, so for the next year or two, we'll probably stay at Pop, Art of Animation, or maybe Caribbean Beach to keep us on the Skyliner track.

At some point soon, though, we want to start doing a few "big resort" trips, where we spend more time enjoying the resorts so that's why we're looking into DVC. For example, I'd love to stay at Wilderness Lodge but I'd like to get an idea of what the overall cost difference would be between booking a standard room at the hotel or staying at one of the studio villas via the DVC. There are apparently ways to manage your points, buy points from other DVC members, etc. that can make it relatively affordable depending on where you stay.

We're going to go back in Nov/Dec of this year and at some point during that trip, I'm planning on talking to one of the folks at the DVC booths that they have around the parks.

[nocera]

Wonder why Disney fans get a bad rap?

[NAN]

Aren't they reopening Splash Mountain after they reimage it to Princess and the Frog?

[meow]

Had a google photo ‘remember when’ notification. “One year ago today: of pictures of us at magic kingdom. now I’m sad

[NAN]

Had a google photo ‘remember when’ notification. “One year ago today: of pictures of us at magic kingdom. now I’m sad

That's funny because we were there at the same time. I think we mentioned that in this thread. I miss it too.

[nocera]

Aren't they reopening Splash Mountain after they reimage it to Princess and the Frog?

Yes but that water is less racist.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Had a google photo ‘remember when’ notification. “One year ago today: of pictures of us at magic kingdom. now I’m sad

That's funny because we were there at the same time. I think we mentioned that in this thread. I miss it too.

Yep, and my pics from last year will come in a few weeks later.

What's cool is that I have an Android phone and Chromecast/Google TV, so my old Google Photos albums show up as screensavers. It's neat (and a little creepy) when Google groups pictures from our 2014 trip and our 2022 trip from near the same locations in DW. Like we have a picture of my boys on Tom Sawyer Island with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad behind it from 2014; we restaged it last year. Cool to see how much they've changed (but that part of the park has not).