By Chris Loechel
1. Do we want to start our day by “rope dropping”?
What it is: When you arrive at a Disney Park and arrive at the entrance gates before open.
Pro’s: This allows the rare opportunity to be able to go to mostly any part of the park with little to no line. For high-demand thrill rides (like those we covered in last week’s blog here), this can make all the difference in terms of getting your group on all the top rides. It is important to note that when extra magic hours occur for guests staying on property, those guest would have already had access to the park offerings. Our Royal Carriage Vacations agents can assist you with free travel services to select the best on-property resort which will allow you to receive all possible benefits of guests staying at a Disney resort, but also your agent will be able to share rope drop strategies, extra magic hour strategies, and more!
Con’s: Rope Dropping means an early morning. Depending on the makeup of your crew (whether young ages or morning-averse personalities), this might be a non-starter. The other thing is that you need more time than you think to successfully execute rope drop. Between transportation/parking/security/walk time, make sure you plan ahead to properly gauge your leave time from the place you’re staying. The worst of both worlds is waking your group up earlier than ideal, but then not getting the benefit of rope drop due to being 15-30 minutes late.
Advice: This is not a one-size-fits-all type question, and your group dynamic will dictate what the right answer is. However, we believe that groups that enjoy popular thrill rides and/or groups that plan a break into their park day (more on this later) are great fits for going for rope drop.
2. Do we want to take a break during our park day?
What it is: You are permitted to leave the park and return on your park day. As such, many people will plan a break during their day when they go back to their hotel.
Pro’s: It’s no secret that full Disney Park days although magical days filled with laughter and excitement while cementing lifelong family memories, it can be both physically and mentally taxing for some, from the long walks and near-constant stimulation. Planning a break into your day can provide a chance for you to rest your feet, calm your surroundings, get naps for young (and some not-so-young) ones, and escape what can be the worst heat and sun exposure of the day. This can also pave the way for making it all the way to fireworks at the end of the day which is a late bed time for many children. For guest staying at a Disney hotel, the near proximity has the utmost convenience for taking a break without losing too much transportation time in between.
Con’s: It’s all about logistics and momentum. Walt Disney World is huge and sprawling and there’s simply no quick way to get from the parks to the transportation to the hotel and then back again. Depending on where you’re at in the park when you decide to break, you’ll have a long walk to the buses or monorail/fairy/parking, then your travel time to your place. When you plot out the logistics for your departure and re-arrival, you’re probably looking at over an hour of travel time alone in addition to your break time. Because of this, it can feel like you’ve lost momentum on your magical day and are missing an opportunity to experience a park in full.
Advice: This is a great question to socialize with all parties present and not one where an entire group needs to be on the same page. If you have energetic thrill ride seekers wanting to do every ride (and some rides more than once!), there’s nothing wrong with them keeping the party going while others head back and sync up later.
3. Do we want to spend the money on Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes?
What it is: Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane is an add-on service sold by Disney, which allows you to skip the majority of the line at various attractions throughout the day. Genie+ is sold on a per-day basis while Individual Lightning Lanes are single-use charges for Walt Disney World. (For Disneyland, Disney Genie+ can be added to your ticket ahead of time or selected on the day.)
Pro’s: Efficiency. Genie+ and Lightning will save you hours, not minutes, over the course of the day. This equates to more experiences and better wait time to experience time ratio.
Con’s: Cost. Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane are priced daily by Disney. Genie+ can range between $18-$30 dollars per person per park day. Individual Lightning Lane can cost from $12 to $22 per person depending on the ride and day. If you have a decent-sized group with multiple park days, it’s not hard to see how these surcharges can really add up. The other con which is a minor one is that this will marry you to your phone for the day as you are claiming lightning lane passes at attractions throughout the day. Pack your external charger!
Advice: Do it! Yes, it costs extra money, but it is a fraction of what you’ve already invested in flight/hotel/park ticket and will absolutely have a material impact on how magical your day will be. You’ll get on more rides, including many of them being virtual walk-on’s which adds energy and enjoyment to the entire party. It’s not uncommon to be able to use the power of Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane to be able to complete a park in full in a single day if done strategically. Royal Carriage Vacation agents are ready to share some great strategies for this as part of our free travel planning services for our clients!
4. Do we want to have a table-service meal during the day?
What it is: Disney dining options at the park can be divided into 3 categories: Full service, quick service, and stands / food carts. A table-service meal would be a full-service restaurant experience which requires advance planning and reservations.
Pro’s: Food quality, escaping the elements, brief rest. Disney does pour a lot of energy into their restaurant theming and menu creation. As a result, full-service restaurants have nuanced menus and effort to provide a higher-end dining experience. Additionally, an air-conditioned elongated meal can sometimes be the perfect escape from the sun/heat. You get your whole group cooled down, fed, hydrated, lightly rested and you’re ready to get back to the fun! Additionally, having the table service meal be a character meal for the children is a perfect way to allow young children to interact with characters at your table in lieu of spending time in line to meet the same character. The efficiency of a character meal can be a great way to maximize your time while at the parks. Royal Carriage Vacations free travel services also includes reserving those hard-to-get table service reservations for you!
Con’s: Cost and Momentum. Nothing in Disney is cheap, but that statement rings even truer as it relates to full-service restaurant experiences. Whether you’re talking about a character meet and greet or a fancy themed restaurant, the bill is going to catch your attention. Additionally, reservations can be a momentum killer as they are a set time, planned in advance, that you need to be in a certain spot. Typically it is recommended to allow for 2 hours for your table service reservation. In addition to the extra time that you’ll be spending eating versus going with more casual routes, the pure logistics of getting to the reservation at the planned time can lead to inefficient park navigation, especially when the restaurant is outside of the park you are currently in.
Advice: Plan for either one table service per day between 2-5PM so that you can escape the heat of the day simultaneously and for it to provide a perfect mid-day break or you can rely mostly on our favorite quick-service restaurants (to be shared in a future blog post!). If you go with one per day, you will have the refreshment and rest to make it to close while being able to experience all that the parks have to offer or for those that want to stick with quick-service to maximize the chance to experience the attractions and entertainment offerings, the freedom to take the optimal path as presented by Genie+ and the flexibility to not be beholden to a set time may be the best path. But, discuss amongst your group and see what appeals to all decision makers.
5. How important are parades/shows/fireworks to people?
What it is: Disney will have special entertainment in each park at set times and locations such as parades or performances. At the end of each day, there will be a nighttime show often with fireworks (with exception of Animal Kingdom).
Pro’s: These shows can create some great lasting memories where kids can interact with their favorite characters and/or see a truly amazing display of entertainment (such as the Magic Kingdom fireworks + projection show). Many times families will remember the heart-warming feelings of snuggling their loved ones as they take in the joy and magic of Magic Kingdom fireworks after a day filled with laughter and fun. Time stands still when in that magical moment and those memories stay with us even years after we experience them.
Con’s: Light advanced planning and logistics. The best spots for viewing these experiences will fill up early. To get a primo location, you often need to invest time to go grab your spot well in advance of the experience. There’s no set rule for how far in advance, but you will see crowds lining up as early as 1 hour in advance for the more desired locations and shows.
Advice: Plan on it! Our favorites are listed below:
– Magic Kingdom – Festival of Fantasy Parade
– Magic Kingdom – Happily Ever After
– Hollywood Studios – Beauty and the Beast
– Hollywood Studios – Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
– Hollywood Studios – Fantasmic
– Hollywood Studios – For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
– Animal Kingdom – Festival of the Lion King
– EPCOT – EPCOT Forever (Luminous: The Symphony of Us – Starting December 5, 2023)
This is a very brief list but will get you started in better understanding the very best way to have your most magical park day. We encourage you to talk to your Royal Carriage Vacations travel agent about your objectives and plans so that we can share our best advice tailored to your group! Let’s start planning your magical trip today!
Your Disney Vacation Planning agent with Royal Carriage Vacations is ready to plan your exciting Walt Disney World vacation! We provide value trip planning information, apply eligible promotions to your reservation, and best of all our services are FREE!
