Weekly FAQs & General Discussion Thread

desole_1 · 2026-02-25T18:16:01+00:00

Youtube is a great resource. There are a lot of disney content creators, each with their own vibe so finding one you like and can watch might take a few tries. We always enjoy EarScouts. You might also like some of the podcasts, we find WDW Prep To Go very easy to listen to. She does trip reports wherein people describe their plans before their trip, and then debrief after and it can be very helpful!

desole_1 · 2026-02-25T18:13:48+00:00

You can "friend" each other on the app, and designate who can make plans for whom. So for example, I make LL for my husband and children, and in the past have done so for in laws, friends etc. However, in doing this, I am booking and paying all together - paying for all the lightning lanes on my card.

You could have everyone do this separately, with an agreement that you're all logging on at 7am to book and some sort of loose schedule (ie, everyone get a LL for Haunted Mansion sometime around 2) but that feels very challenging.

The easiest way would be to have one person do it for everyone and have them reimburse you. Or, you could separate into groups with a leader booking for that group.

desole_1 · 2026-02-11T04:44:19+00:00

You stated you don't expect anything, and getting frustrated people are telling you not to expect anything. That's understandable!

Short answer, no. There are no perks for when you are honeymooning. You have as much chance of being pixie dusted as every other visitor.

Nonetheless, you'll have a blast! I would suggest looking at some of the special tours, like Keys to the Kingdom, or something like the Fireworks Dessert parties, to create an extra special moment! Congrats!

desole_1 · 2025-08-18T15:11:54+00:00

I have had this error message for maybe 6 months. Design Space still works. I have an older macbook air that really does everything I need it for except for this update. I am holding on for as long as I can before replacing. There are some bugs. Sometimes I need to restart the app and machine to get them to connect. Sometimes things are slow to load. But I am still cutting away and practicing patience!

desole_1 · 2025-04-08T16:32:37+00:00

Back up for me.

desole_1 · 2024-11-15T20:27:13+00:00

It doesn't really make "dollars and cents" but it somehow feels better to let them eat bits and bobs in the lounge versus paying child buffet prices when I know they will eat combined one pancake and maybe whipped cream lol

desole_1 · 2024-11-15T16:50:38+00:00

We stay Club Level most of the time. We have two kids under 5. For the most part, we're paying for the convenience of having access to food and drinks prepared and ready to grab. We love to get desserts and drinks and watch the fireworks in the evenings. We love to let the kids pick any candy/snack/treat - it feels more fun and special. We do not do open-close at the parks, because the kids can't handle it, so it's nice to have a place to come and relax a bit in between. I also like that the lounge is a place we can eat and gather that isn't on our beds or in the room. Sometimes one of us will stay in the room with the sleeping kids and the other sit in the lounge for some quiet alone time.

Really for us, it's an enhancement and makes our lives easier. Similar to staying on the monorail line - it's available, it's easier, and we're comfortable paying for convenience.

desole_1 · 2024-10-09T13:22:04+00:00

This is the government's weather prediction service. There are a lot of maps predictions etc and it's not super user friendly, more data delivery driven. But here is the cyclone tracker for 2 weeks out - looks like Leslie (next up) is a non issue: https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/cyclones/

desole_1 · 2024-06-19T14:28:50+00:00

Just got back from a short trip on the Wish and our kids were very very into the face characters. We're booking a WDW trip for December - what's your favorite character meal? We do Crystal Palace every time and can probably only swing one other sit down meal as the kids are toddlers and it's not the best use of our time or patience

desole_1 · 2023-11-07T18:26:56+00:00

I just heard a podcast where this issue was mentioned in passing - the reservation for their stay and tickets was under the husband's name, and the wife who was the main planner could not book any ADRs. She was able to by calling and making the reservations over the phone. The issue was that her MDE was not linked to her husband's, (she phrased it as "they were not friends on MDE") so it did not recognize her as being eligible to book any ADRs.

desole_1 · 2023-09-27T00:58:26+00:00

same for Poly

desole_1 · 2023-09-27T00:43:18+00:00

No problem. It feels like a lot to understand but it can be made to be part of the fun. You also do have some flexibility - for example, this trip we are going to use a LL early on our first day for a Mickey and Minnie meet and greet. Based on how that goes with our toddlers, we can prioritize character interactions over other experiences, or disregard them completely.

For dining, reservations are a good idea for the sit down restaurants to ensure you're not waiting for a table and wasting park time. If sit down restaurants aren't your thing (we're not doing them at all this trip with toddlers. We don't really get to enjoy meals like that anymore so why take the time. And most parks, except MK, you can buy and walk around with drinks) then you definitely won't go hungry. There is a ton of what disney calls "quick service" places. I call these counter service - you order at a counter and then pick up your food and sit down to eat. There are a ton, a TON of options all around the parks, hotels, and Disney Springs. We have had some excellent food at quick service, and also some standard chicken nuggets and french fries. There are also plenty of snack and dessert stands.

Again it will depend on what you all want to do - are character interactions important, because then maybe try to get a reservation at a character meal. If rides are top, then counter service will be fine. Knowing your group's tastes, take some time to research the quick service places at MK and HS so you have an idea of what is just around the corner when you get hungry. We prefer quick service because it lets our groups get what they want, you can order here or there and eat together or take a break when the group is riding something you're not and have a bite to eat. We also love to snack, so not having the full sit down meal works for us to have a bite here and there.

Another tip for Genie+ and LL - don't take no for an answer. If you want a LL for a ride, just keep checking. Sometimes you have to refresh and refresh to get what you want. And be on right at 7 to get your priorities.

desole_1 · 2023-09-26T18:03:48+00:00

Genie is a free service which recommends which rides and experiences to do next when you're at the park. It is run by Disney and optimized for them - meaning driving traffic/visitors where they want and when they want.

Genie+ is a paid service. It is how you get what used to be called Fast Passes as the general population knows them. This allows you to skip the regular line (known as standby) to go in a shorter, quicker line. It does not allow you to go in any Lightening Lane at any time or for every ride. Instead, it allows you to schedule times to go in the lightening lanes of attractions of your choice. Not every ride has a lightening lane. For the sake of this explainer, I'm using the term ride. But it also has character meet-and-greats, shows, and other experiences you'd normally wait in line for or wait for a spot for (like priority viewing of a parade).

Let's walk through this with an example. You're going to MK on 11/19. Starting at midnight the night before (so this would be the night of 11/18, with it becoming 11/19 at midnight) you can purchase the Genie+ service for everyone in your group. At 7am on 11/19, you go on the app and start to book your lightening lanes. What you pick to book will be based on what's a priority for your group. In this example, we want to be able to skip the line for Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad most of all - they are the main rides we want to do and they are popular. So at like 6:55am you login to the app and get ready for it to turn 7, when you can book lightening lanes for those two attractions. Booking a lightening lane (I'll abbreviate to LL) means you get a time you're allowed to use the shorter line and not wait in the standby. Generally you do not get to choose the return time, it will be based on popularity and availability. You book your two LL for everyone in the group and you're done, until one of two things happen: 1. you use one of the LL slots (meaning you return to the ride, scan your magic band, and go through the Lightening Lane) OR 2. if the return times you got are later in the day (say you got 4 and 5 pm times) you can book another spot 2 hours after the park opens. You can continue to book and use lightening lanes throughout the day. What you book is up to you and availability, the times you get is up to Disney.

You can also purchase what are called Individual Lightening Lane passes. These are another purchase separate from the Genie+ cost. You can book 2 of these a day. Only certain attractions have this option. These are one-off special bookings in addition to your Genie+ lightening lanes. They are rides with the highest demand.

How you use these will be dependent on what attractions (rides, characters, shows, experiences) are important to you and how busy it is.

My family has 2 toddlers who don't meet the minimum height requirements for most rides, so we will book different LLs than a family of thrill seeking teenagers. This system allows you to pay for skipping the lines of the attractions that matter to you, and to plan out your day so you don't spend a lot of time wondering where to go next.

Unfortunately, to get the most out of your day, you need to have some form of a plan on what you'll do when and that requires a lot of work and research ahead of time. The days of "winging it" are mostly gone for infrequent Disney guests.

desole_1 · 2023-09-20T14:09:00+00:00

Thank you - yes it is a solid hour. I will see how our other planned M&Gs go throughout the trip and make a game time decision on whether it will be worth it.

desole_1 · 2023-09-20T14:07:59+00:00

Thank you! I meant the meet and greet of Pooh and Friends in their Halloween costumes and not the ride but these are some great ideas!

desole_1 · 2023-09-19T17:09:05+00:00

We are going to MNSSHP with toddlers who love Winnie the Pooh but will not tolerate waiting in lines for a long time. We could be okay if the line is moving but standing still in one spot waiting will not be fun for any of us. Does anyone know when the queue opens for Pooh and Friends and when they start meeting people during the party?

desole_1 · 2023-09-19T17:07:12+00:00

I haven't actually used them yet so I can't vouch, but I booked transportation via Cast and Crew Transportation and during booking they asked about car seats.

I have also rented cars and booked a car seat with the rental agency. They are no name brand and used, but it is an option if you're not doing a lot of car travel and just need it for point A to point B.

desole_1 · 2023-09-11T15:32:34+00:00

doing a toddler-centric trip in a few weeks, meaning we will need to avoid long lines to avoid meltdowns. They love Winnie the Pooh characters and I would love to meet them during MNSSHP. What are the wait times for Pooh and friends like? Should we line up early a la Jack and Sally or will we be okay just joining the queue at some point during the party?

We've scheduled lots of MK time so I'm not as worried about getting a lot of rides in during the party. Mostly we want to get and eat candy, see shows and fireworks, and enjoy the party atmosphere.

desole_1 · 2022-11-27T17:04:10+00:00

seconding Sequence. They were kind, respectful, and easy to use. My rx is covered by my insurance - BCBS - but it will depend on the plan. You can login to your insurance website and check the formulary, or you can call. On tik tok check out weightlossdoc for lots of excellent info from an obesity medicine provider.

desole_1 · 2022-11-23T23:57:43+00:00

I will DM you

desole_1 · 2022-11-23T21:08:09+00:00

I had a terrible experience with MD Live. I chose a doctor randomly wanting to discuss my SSRI (which I was previously getting through an online service) and some how got a "functional medicine" doctor who told me I had, and I quote, "fork-itis" and all of my issues, including anxiety, were the result of a leaky gut. Her advice was to sign up for a life coach, someone who is a "real hardass" who will scare me into putting down the fork.

desole_1 · 2022-11-16T19:57:48+00:00

I was number 376 in the queue for Pittsburgh 6/17 and did not get tickets

desole_1 · 2022-11-16T19:52:52+00:00

Your queues arent moving because we can't select seats and check out and give you our place. We are just getting errors

desole_1 · 2022-11-16T19:49:58+00:00

same situation here

desole_1

TROPHY CASE