I did some calculations and as far as I can tell five years is the longest that I have gone in between Florida trips for just about all of my life. It’s not just that I am a big Disney and theme park fan, although that is a big part of it, I just like having things to do. I’ve had friends in the state for most of my adult life and even though sitting on a beach or next to a pool is great, if I’m going to spend the money to go somewhere I want there to be more. Last summer my daughter and I took our first post-Covid road trip to Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey but it was time to risk booking something a bit more aggressive. After our last trip to the happiest place on Earth I gave you ten marginally helpful tips for your Orlando vacation. This is your update.
I’ll start with what’s the same. As much as I can see where staying on-site at a Disney property would help with maximizing Lightning Lane passes ( more on that later ) I still believe that there are enough deals to be found and enough other stuff to do that it isn’t worth the money. The only parks that we visited this trip were Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and as much as I hate to admit it, I think that my kid would tell you that some of her favorite times came on the other days. We hung out by the resort pool, played mini-golf, attended a magic show, tried some fried alligator, checked out a car show, shopped more than I would ever choose to and went to Capone’s Dinner Show. There is a lot more that can be made of an Orlando vacation than just the parks.
That being said, it’s the parks that were driving this vacation. I can’t speak for everywhere but I can tell you that from what I saw you need to be prepared for a lot of people. Besides your ticket it is also necessary now to make a reservation at the Disney park that you wish to attend on a certain day. When they reach capacity no further reservations are accepted though you can use a Hopper pass after 2 PM.
Full parks mean long lines. Most of the most popular rides were anywhere from a one hour to a ninety minute wait in the stand bye lines. The Seven Dwarves Mine Train ride at Magic Kingdom and Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood studios were each at just over two hours so make sure you hit the potty first. One thing that is free ( for now ) is the wi-fi so pack those devices. I hate seeing my kid stare at a screen for hours at a time as much as the next person but something I hate even more is listening to whining and complaining.
There are ways to skip some of these lines, of course, but be prepared for additional sticker shock. The days of free Fast Pass are gone. What they have now is called a “Lightning Lane” that for about $15 a person allows you make a reservation to skip a line. These opportunities open up at 7 AM. After you check into that first ride you can then make a reservation at another but these spots fill up fast. My strategy was to pick a ride to line skip around the 9-10:00 hour, get to the park at opening to hit another popular ride first and then after using the pass try to find another time before lunch. You can use this option up to four times a day but I found that after the second time any ride that we were interested in was now booking six to seven hours later or was filled for the day. $30 bucks, two lines skipped. That left us with two to three other lines that we had to actually wait in, allowing us to get in six to seven over an eight hour period.
The lines with the longest waits, in our instances Seven Dwarves and Rise of the Resistance, aren’t part of this package. Instead you can choose to pay an additional $15 a person for “Individual Lightning Lanes” that only apply to these particular rides. Unless you are staying at a Disney Resort these passes don’t go on sale until the park opens to the public. From what I understand what rides are available under what package, as well as the prices, have changed several times and fluctuate according to demand. If this information is inaccurate when you go, that’s the reason, but at least you had some warning as to what to expect.
All of this is done via the My Disney Experience app, which I highly recommend you download. Even if you choose not to spend the extra money on any of these options the wait times seemed pretty accurate and are useful for planning your day. I’m a technological buffoon and managed to figure it out so it’s obviously pretty user friendly.
If I sound negative, that’s not my intention. Any reasonable person heading to Orlando to visit the Disney parks knows ahead of time that they are going to spend a ridiculous amount of money. They should also know to expect to wait in some lines. Assuming the world stays relatively under control and somewhat normal I’m hopeful it won’t be another five years before we get back. Even if you are half the nerd that we both are the new Star Wars stuff is pretty damn cool guys. We had a blast.
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Previously Published on thirstydaddy.com
all images courtesy of author