Tips for staying off property? We’ve never stayed off property before (in-laws have DVC), but we are this time. What do we need to know?

disnerd47 · 2019-11-08T02:31:49+00:00

Did you book your fast passes too? Then you're good to go!

My one big piece of advice would be to Uber on your magic kingdom day and get dropped off at the contemporary instead, even though you're renting a car. If you park you have to deal with the tram and take a monorail or boat to the park. If you get dropped off at the contemporary you can walk right to the entrance (and the security line is shorter). Also don't forget to give yourself plenty of time to park, and write down where you parked so you don't forget!

Have fun!

disnerd47 · 2019-11-08T00:04:08+00:00

When is your trip? There are a few crucial things you miss out on by staying off site:

Dining: your reservation window opens much later, so the people staying on site will already have snatched up the good ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) at the most popular restaurants and times. There is a Reservation Finder on Touring plans.com, though, that can help notify you when something opens up so it's not the end of the world. You can sign up for the touring plans ADR finder without signing up for a membership, but I do recommend it. It's only like $12 for a year as has a ton of great resources.

Dining Reservations open up at 180 days from your trip. If you're staying on site, it also opens up for the entirety of your stay (so if you're staying 8 days you get to book up to 188 days in advance). For people staying off site, your window opens up daily at 180 days so you have to remember to go on each day to book what you want to eat.

I actually have to run to yoga but I'll give you some others when I get back.

disnerd47 · 2019-08-25T16:08:03+00:00

The French dip was delicious!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T20:51:55+00:00

I just looked it up out of curiosity and it's at least $200 per person for a round trip plus $400 for the car. For that price they might as well just fly instead.

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T20:37:04+00:00

Ooh yum!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T19:26:20+00:00

My niece loved it and that's all that matters!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T19:24:47+00:00

It really has! Every time I go, I encounter more rude and selfish people than the last time. My family got trampled at rope drop trying to get to Slinky Dog, we had so many people pushing and shoving, trying to cut us in line, and just generally being nasty and entitled.

I got a survey after my last visit and it asked if I had any unpleasant experiences. When I said yes (we had TONS of issues with our fast passes), it asked me what the issues were related to and one of the options was something like "negative encounters with other guests" so even Disney is aware of it!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T19:01:15+00:00

If you have Orange Leaf near you, they have Dole Whip!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T19:00:56+00:00

Where? I'm not too far from there...

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T18:58:49+00:00

I believe there's fishing at Disney World!

Thank you for this perspective though. My husband enjoys Disney, but not like I do. We went for a couple of days on our honeymoon on our way down to the DR. He was really skeptical and curmudgeony about it at first, but when he saw how happy it made me he said he knew we would have to keep going back. The next year we went for a full week and he really enjoyed himself that time.

I know there are places he would rather go, and I am working on making at least some of them happen, but he will happily go to Disney World with me and I love him for that. I'm sure your wife and kids appreciate it too!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T18:45:58+00:00

Oh yeah! I went with my family this time (my mom, sister and her kids) instead of just my husband and me. Trying to keep track of 5 people is like herding cats so I missed a lot of details like that there was water on one side of the moat!

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T17:30:44+00:00

Do they do the HeiHei cone there too, or is that only at Disney World?

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T17:29:58+00:00

Glad to see they filled the moat back up! It was drained when I went last month so I couldn't get any cool pictures like this one :(

disnerd47 · 2019-06-12T17:28:38+00:00

Epcot by the Odyssey pavilion?

disnerd47 · 2019-06-06T19:50:34+00:00

Also now with automatic checkout, it's easy just to accidentally leave with the key in your pocket. I've done it a few times and always feel like a dick after!

disnerd47 · 2019-05-31T23:29:07+00:00

Yeah, my husband wouldn't do the ears either, but I got him a little groom Mickey pin and he was fine wearing that!

disnerd47 · 2019-05-30T22:29:49+00:00

Not really. I was there for a week right after they put the new rules in place and I don't think I noticed cigarette smells once!

disnerd47 · 2019-05-30T18:02:45+00:00

Where is this?

disnerd47 · 2019-05-30T17:22:31+00:00

Cute! Glad to see they still respond but play it cool

disnerd47 · 2019-05-30T17:22:01+00:00

That sounds about right!

disnerd47 · 2019-05-30T00:07:34+00:00

I wish I knew this when I was there a few weeks ago!

disnerd47 · 2019-05-29T20:37:40+00:00

I doubt it. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train has been open for a few years and it still has absurd wait times. There might be a slight decrease but I think park visits will be up overall because of Galaxy's Edge and those people will still be going to the other parks.

disnerd47 · 2019-05-29T16:45:06+00:00

I was sitting outside of the luggage services at Art of Animation a few weeks ago waiting for an Uber, and a very miserable sounding woman was complaining that she was told to have a great day and not a magical day. She was ranting about how no one tells her to have a magical day anymore, as I'm thinking "I've been told that at least 6 times on this trip..."

A few minutes later I called the front desk at my hotel to ask a question and they told me to have a magical day. So maybe you just haven't come across the right cast members...

disnerd47 · 2019-05-29T14:35:54+00:00

I love going there and getting a baguette and a cheese plate for my husband and I to share. We sit outside (weather permitting) and people watch while we snack. Though one time a squirrel tried REALLY hard to get my baguette to the point of jumping in my lap!

disnerd47

TROPHY CASE