10 Things We’ll Never Do Again at Disney World
Every Walt Disney World fan has a bucket list, but the smart ones also have lists of things we’ll never do again. This isn’t like our list of easy first-timer mistakes. Rather, these are things we’ve done and said to one another: “Wow, that was a stupid move on our part. Let’s avoid that at all costs in the future.” (Updated December 10, 2023.)
Truthfully, there are very few things at Walt Disney World that we’d never do again. Our bucket lists far longer than our “never again” lists, because most things at Walt Disney World are worth of a second chance. Menus at restaurants change, hotels are overhauled, and attractions are tweaked or re-imagined over time.
In fact, since we originally published this a few years ago, a lot has changed. Perhaps we should take the immortal words of celebrated thinker Justin Bieber to heart and “never say never.” Thankfully, Walt Disney World tends to listen to guest feedback and correct mistakes and experiences that score poorly on guest satisfaction surveys. Over the years, we’ve had to remove several things from this list because we’ve done them again (sometimes inadvertently or not by choice) and had dramatically different–and better–experiences…
To that point, we’ve removed different entries from the list:
- Dinner at Chef Mickey’s – We have a daughter now. There isn’t a single character meal at Walt Disney World that we won’t be doing in the near future. And you know what? I’m looking forward to (over)paying ~$150 for the three of us to do dinner at Chef Mickey’s again!
- Pay to Stay at Grand Floridian – The price is still absurd, so it’s likely we won’t be doing this much (especially given that we can use DVC points instead). With that said, our reason for not paying to stay at Grand Floridian was the mid-tier Marriott caliber rooms. Those are currently in the process of being transformed into something far, far nicer.
- Genie+ at EPCOT – The addition of Frozen Ever After and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure to the Genie+ service, plus better availability for other attractions and a lower price at EPCOT takes this off the list. We still favor Early Entry or Extended Evening Hours, but we’re no longer as ardently anti-Genie+ at EPCOT.
- New Year’s Eve at Magic Kingdom – The last two times we did NYE or December 30 (basically the same) at Magic Kingdom, it went far better than expected. Of course, reservations are going away in 2024, so this could change again for the worse, but we wouldn’t hesitate to do it again…for now.
- Busy Buses at Coronado Springs – This was a huge problem in 2020-2022, due to a mixture of staffing shortages, reduced capacity on transportation, and Gran Destino Tower adding a ton of rooms to the resort. Thankfully, we didn’t experience the issue this year, presumably because pent-up demand is exhausted and resort occupancy is down. It could still be a problem from time-to-time, but not enough of one to make this list.
Another thing to note is that this list only covers things that are within our control to never do again at Walt Disney World. Over the years, the company has made the “choice” for us, by eliminating a lot of things that we’d otherwise love to do again. For example, we’d love to see a night parade or winter icicle lights on Cinderella Castle, but it seems that Disney might deny us the opportunity. We’ve also now taken our final ride on Disney’s Magical Express and redeemed our last FastPass.
Those are things we will technically never do again at Walt Disney World, but are very much not in the spirit of this list, which is more like “NEVER AGAIN!” What won’t we do again at Walt Disney World? Here are the top 10 things…
BONUS: All Stars During Youth Events – This is one we’d still strongly recommend that you avoid, so we’re not fully removing it from the list. However, in the last year-plus, I’ve stayed at All Star Sports during two youth events (couldn’t pass up the price, even if I knew I was playing with fire) and it honestly wasn’t that bad.
Part of this is probably that the worst youth event, the Pop Warner Championship, is no longer hosted at Walt Disney World. Another component is that we’ve heard Disney has become more ‘diligent’ about communicating to chaperones that groups need to be quiet after a certain hour. Maybe another is that the kids these days are better behaved??? (Nah.)
In any case, this becomes a ‘do as we say, not as we do’ entry on the list. If there’s a major youth sporting event at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, you should probably avoid all of the All Stars, but Sports at the very least. Basically, if you’re thinking of booking a Value Resort between February and May, consult this calendar–it can be a planner’s best friend and help “save your sleep schedule.”
Assembling this many under-supervised teens in one location is like feeding a Gremlin after midnight. There’s some sort of chemical or hormonal “thing” that happens, and then all hell breaks loose. Due to the reputation and complaints over the years, Disney security has done a better job in dealing with the teens in recent years (impromptu midnight practices are quickly broken up so I no longer have the need to literally yell “get off my lawn” to the kids), but this is still a scene to be avoided.
10. Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – This is a tricky one. We came of age during the Disney Renaissance and are huge fans of Beauty and the Beast as a result. On top of that, we’re new parents who cannot wait to share the movie with our daughter. However, we also hate the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns. I’ll spare you that rant again, but there’s a reason the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along made our list of Things We Skip at EPCOT and is dead last on our rankings of all 91 attractions at Walt Disney World.
So this is a delicate needle to thread–making Megatron a big fan of Beauty and the Beast, while preventing her from ever learning of this atrocious show’s existence. One of my big fears is that we will suceed at the first, but fail at the second…which is a recipe for disaster. Instead of never doing this show again, we will do it every single time we visit EPCOT. It’ll become the attraction we do more than anything else at Walt Disney World. Our frequent viewership alone will single-handedly prop up guest utilization numbers and inadvertently help keep this show around. We will become the villains.
Here’s hoping that Walt Disney World has the good sense to retire this abomination before Megatron is of age to become “addicted” to entertainment and starts calling the shots, forcing us to see this sing-along endlessly. In the meantime, other parents, you’ve been warned: avoid Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along at all costs. It’s worse than the worst direct-to-video sequel, and even the authors of bad fanfic could’ve penned a better script.
9. Magic Kingdom on Monday During Party Season – This actually isn’t only Monday, that’s just the most succinct way of wording this. Magic Kingdom crowd dynamics during Party Season have been one of the key discussion points of our August through December crowd calendars for several years.
We’ve been strongly recommending that readers visit Magic Kingdom during the day on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights, and then bouncing to another park at around 4 pm. Conversely, we’ve recommended avoiding Magic Kingdom on non-party days. The rationale for all of this is laid out in Least Crowded Days at Magic Kingdom, we aren’t going to belabor that point yet again.
One point we haven’t made nearly as much is the “danger” of visiting Magic Kingdom on a Monday (the busiest day of the week) at points during Party Season when it’s the only day during a 3-4 day stretch without MNSSHP or MVMCP. This is a double-whammy. Not only are the crowds consolidated away from the party-shortened days, but it’s also what’s regularly the busiest day of the week at Magic Kingdom. (See Best & Worst Days of the Week for Each Park at Walt Disney World.)
This happened on the Monday of Thanksgiving week, and it was an absolute nightmare. But we actually experienced it earlier during the Party Season on a Wednesday, which was the only day in a 5 day stretch without an event. Same can happen on select Saturdays. All of those days are absolutely brutal, and should be avoided.
If you do make the mistake of going–perhaps even on purpose as you want to see Magic Kingdom at night and it’s your only option–at least heed this one piece of advice: stay far away from Main Street before, during, and after the fireworks! It’s the only opportunity in a several day stretch to watch Happily Ever After, meaning that about 10x the number of guests who can safely fit on Main Street for the fireworks will want to watch from there. Seriously. It can get downright uncomfortable and feel unsafe. Watch from behind Cinderella Castle instead.
8. Genie+ at Animal Kingdom – This replaces Genie+ at EPCOT on this list, which I still wouldn’t purchase or recommend to the vast majority of guests due to the ridiculous amount of backtracking it requires (and among attractions that are incredibly spread out). However, the inclusion of Frozen Ever After or Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure does remove it from ‘worst things you can do at Walt Disney World’ status.
Genie+ has become more popular at Animal Kingdom in the second half of 2023 due to the introduction of per-park pricing. Consequently, Animal Kingdom is now the “cheapest” park and many guests view it as a “good deal” as a result. We beg of you: do not be fooled by this.
Even on busier days, you do not need Genie+ at Animal Kingdom with even a scintilla of strategizing. Regular readers of this site know this, as we’ve hammered home time and time again that Genie+ is a waste of money at Animal Kingdom. This is discussed in countless posts, including in our Best Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World, which says all you need to know for DAK is “don’t go during the middle of the day and stand in long lines.”
Seriously, that’s about it. Arriving early or staying late work perfectly fine for beating the crowds because most guests still treat it like a half-day park and attendance is significantly lower at Animal Kingdom than any other park at Walt Disney World. As a result, a lower advertised base price for Genie+ by virtue of Animal Kingdom is almost meaningless. This is especially true on days when Animal Kingdom is under $20–crowd levels are never bad enough on those dates to justify Genie+ in the first place!
6. Pandora or Star Wars Lands Midday – There are a few components to this. First is crowds, which are always chaotic and take away from enjoying the details that define both Pandora – World of Avatar and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. These two lands absolutely beg to be explored, and stressed out crowds and people going in every which way impede anyone’s ability to truly soak up these lands. The environments and layers of lived-in detail and storytelling are so key for appreciating both.
Plus, the long lines during the middle of the day certainly don’t help. This isn’t just triple-digit waits for the attractions, either. Walkways and shops become congested, and it’s more difficult to see everything as a result. At Galaxy’s Edge, good luck meeting the Mandalorian and Baby Yoda if you’re trying to do so midday!
Second, you’re running a risk if rain is in the forecast. Both lands are huge, but also have few indoor areas that are large and easily accessible if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Adding insult to injury, they are a bit isolated from the rest of their respective parks (or in the case of Galaxy’s Edge, right next door to another popular land with very little covered space). In short, if it starts raining in either and you’re not already inside, you will get wet. Your options for quickly ducking indoors are limited if not nonexistent.
Finally, there’s the simple reality that Pandora and Galaxy’s Edge are best at the beginning and end of the day. The morning light flitters through the trees, kisses the mountains, and gives greater depth and dimension to the rockwork. It’s like going from standard television to high definition, as all of the details are clearer and stand out.
Both lands also take on new dimension once the sun goes down. Pandora’s bioluminescence and organic life comes alive in the evening, and it truly feels like another planet. The setting is enchanted, and evokes what I can only imagine an alien forest is like. At night, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has a spooky and serene sense to it, except in the marketplace where a variety of beautiful light fixtures give added texture and depth to everything.
This might seem like an exaggeration, but you truly have not experienced Pandora or Galaxy’s Edge if you’ve never done them at night. It’s not just like standard to high def–it’s more like going from listening to the radio to watching in IMAX.
BONUS: Midday Standby at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance – Similar idea as the above, but the problem here is unique enough to warrant its own (bonus) entry. Wait time inflation at Walt Disney World is a real thing, and we think it has gotten worse with the launch of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. Whether that has nefarious motivations or not is a different debate for another day. (See Why Certain Walt Disney World Rides Can Have WORSE Actual Wait Times Than Posted.)
We can safely say that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is notorious for having the least-accurate wait times in all of Walt Disney World. Quite often, especially around park opening and late in the day, the wait times are significantly inflated. We’ve experienced posted wait times that are more than double the actual wait times we’ve experienced. (There have been instances of triple posted vs. actual wait times!) However, that is not always the case.
One thing we’ve learned is that doing Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance via standby during the middle of the day is playing with fire. This is especially true when the posted wait time is over 120 minutes, we’ve found. The reason for this is because the Galaxy’s Edge headliner–and #1 attraction in all of Walt Disney World–is still prone to breakdowns. The longer the line, the higher the likelihood of a ride breakdown.
But that isn’t the only issue. After all, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has been unreliable since opening, so you’d think that Walt Disney World could build a ‘cushion’ into posted wait times to account for the downtime to some degree, right? (They do. That’s precisely why the wait times are often significantly inflated!)
The real problem is that Disney sells Individual Lightning Lane access to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and that does not take downtime into account. Meaning that when the ride reopens, there is a huge backlog of guests who have paid $20+ per person to skip the line at the attraction. And guess what? They are still entitled to that, resulting in a Lightning Lane to standby ratio that is way more skewed to Lightning Lane than normal. This causes the actual standby wait time to skyrocket…and that’s on top of whatever downtime you might’ve endured.
There are two takeaways here. First, don’t do Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance during the middle of the day when wait times are the highest as you’re betting big when it comes to ride breakdowns. Second, if the ride does go down while you’re in the standby line, get out unless you’re very close to the front of the line (you’ve already spent at least 30 minutes in the caves). Don’t make yourself a victim of the sunk-cost fallacy! For more advice to doing the attraction with lower wait times, see our Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Ride Guide.
5. Summit Plummet – Despite my claim for years that I’m good on this, when we visited Blizzard Beach this year, I did Summit Plummet again. Almost as soon as it began, the realization washed over me like water that I had made a terrible mistake. To borrow the immortal words of Roger Murtaugh: I’m too old for this slide.
This is the only attraction on this list, and the reason for that is that we think people should judge attractions for themselves, because everyone has different preferences. (For example, there are probably a few of you who don’t like Country Bear Jamboree. That’s fine–some people don’t like masterpieces like The Godfather and Citizen Kane, either.)
For me, Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach water park is something that’s moderately enjoyable and I’m glad it exists, because it looks really cool and is a great water slide concept…but once was enough. From the insanely long line to the feeling of pure terror to the crazy wedgie, I’m good on it for one lifetime. Actually, I’ll probably do it when I’m 65, against my better judgment once more, just to feel young and reckless again. 😉
4. “Improperly Pack” – This is somewhat of a blanket statement because it’s a mistake I’ve made repeatedly in different ways. Basically, I have a propensity to simultaneously under and over-pack, and bring clothing for the weather I want rather than the weather that’s actually forecast.
For example, I have a tendency to pack shorts and polos for winter trips–a mistake I’ve made as recently as last year, even despite having written our Winter Packing Tips for Disney. For early fall trips, I’ve been known to bring jeans and button-downs, even when the weather is still sweltering. Beyond that, I leave behind practical items I end up missing to avoid overpacking, while bringing pointless stuff “just in case” that I never use.
Unfortunately, I don’t have an elephant-caliber memory…or I try to convince myself that “it’ll be different this time” (for reasons unknown), only to have history repeat itself. In other words, I say this is a mistake I’ll never make again…but I almost certainly will. Fortunately, there’s now a UNIQLO at Disney Springs, and that store has bailed me out many times!
3. Food & Wine Festival on a Weekend – We want to start out by saying that we really enjoy Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival…but we don’t love it on weekends. Ever been to a UCF frat party? Well, if you answered “no”, it’s not too late!
Weekend evenings are prime time for college students with disposable incomes to descend upon the Festival to get sloshed. For them, it sure beats drinking Old Style in a dank basement (like we did in college), but that atmosphere plus the huge crowds can make this the least pleasant time to be at Food & Wine Festival.
Weekdays during the festival are far more enjoyable. It’s also far more enjoyable to attend Food & Wine in mid-November when the temperatures and humidity are more bearable, but we invariably attend in September because that’s usually when we visit for Halloween.
BONUS: Italy Booth – If not “required” for the sake of research, we’d never do the Italy booth at any festival ever again. The kiosk is notorious for high prices, elementary school cafeteria-inspired cuisine, and just a startling lack of ambition. If you enjoy paying $10 for a sample-sized version of microwaved TV dinners, Italy is a great option. If not, stay far away.
2. Rainforest Cafe – How this restaurant still has multiple locations around the United States, much less multiple locations in Walt Disney World, defies logic. The food is awful, and the ambiance reminds me of 1980s-relic ShowBiz Pizza Place, but “modernized” for the 1990s and devoid of character/charm.
The dark cloud that hangs over Rainforest Cafe almost extended to cast a shadow over T-Rex Cafe for me. Fortunately, I gave that a chance because dinosaurs, and was pleasantly surprised. If you are thinking, “but our kids love Rainforest Cafe!” consider taking them to T-Rex instead.
1. Leave Early – Nighttime is when the parks come alive with beautiful lighting and enchanting ambiance. It’s also when the weather starts to cool and lines start to die down. From a practical perspective, nights are now more advantageous than mornings, with lower wait times in the last couple of hours of the night than in the first couple hours after rope drop.
On top of that, one of my favorite “attractions” is strolling through World Showcase after Epcot’s fireworks end, just soaking up the ambiance, listening to the music, and seeing the stunning architecture. I’d rather do this for an hour than spend 8 daylight hours in the park. Same goes for wandering along the Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom or being bathed in the neon glow of Tomorrowland.
BONUS: Sleep In – We stress this so much on the blog that it’s probably becoming cliche. However, it’s good advice–especially if you’re staying on-site and are eligible for Early Entry. There’s no better way to beat the crowds at most parks (see our Top Time-Saving Strategies for Walt Disney World for a rundown of the best & worst ways to avoid long lines.) Basically, we would never not be tired at Walt Disney World again. Well, that’s not true–midday naps are a game-changer if you can manage them.
Beyond a couple of other restaurants that are blacklisted (for now), attractions we avoid for personal reasons, and lands that are dead to me *cough*Dino-Rama*cough* that’s about it. Hopefully you can learn from some of our mistakes…or find solace in knowing that we have made these same mistakes as you. Think of this as a support group for those who have been awoken at 2 a.m. at All Star Sports by a cheer practice or who have dropped $200 on a family “dinner” at Rainforest Cafe. Share your own “NEVER AGAIN!” items in the comments–venting can be therapeutic!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What things at Walt Disney World would you never do again? Is any restaurant, resort, or ride beyond redemption for you? Any time of year you’d never visit? Do you agree or disagree with our list? Would you do any of these things again? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Not my own never ever, but my aunt and uncle, who love WDW and have season passes, will never do Hall of Presidents again because of Trump’s inclusion. Both of them passed to see the show with me when I went for the first time last year. It would have just made them mad anyway since Trump’s animatronic got a round of applause after his inauguration speech! Lol. I don’t like him either but it was still a funny experience watching everyone’s reaction. The Asian tourists next to me really liked Obama though! They gave him a nice cheer.
My never again is Olga’s Cantina. The drinks were awful, I understand why the limited menu. Very crowded and very limited seating. My daughter has a rare form of Rhumetoid Arthritis and asking her to stand at the bar was ridiculous. Yes, we had a reservation. The bar munchies looked and tasted like potpourri.I know it’s Disney and I wasn’t going to penny pinch (whole family BIG Star Wars fans), but $55 for 3 drinks and bar munchies is a bit ridiculous. Let’s not talk about the $35 and $45 drinks that come with a souvenir glass! Theming wasn’t what I expected from Disney, either.
Wow great comments. Tom, you say to stay out late yet recommend starting early in the park. How do you do it with the exception of caffeine infusion and youth!? My MO is to rope drop and call it a day around 3 or 4 and swim. I honestly can’t think of a never again because I’d love to do my Disney trips over and over again!
If you leave the park around 1 and come back at 5, you’ll feel way better and will miss most of the afternoon heat.
Agree on Chef Mickeys (worst experience I have ever had at a character meal) though I’m not a fan of most character dining anyway. I can understand why most do not like Rainforest cafe or T-Rex but not everyone lives anywhere near these type of restaurants. I was given a gift certificate to Rainforest cafe so we did breakfast. It was actually pretty good and the service was excellent, MUCH better than what I got at Chef Mickeys.
Like many of you, there aren’t that many NEVERs because most things deserve a second chance, a different time to approach, etc. But my list is pretty secure in our family planning debates:
1. Never Tony’s….just never. Mama melrose is just as bad, but way better theming
2. Never Seven Dwarfs Mine…..its beautiful, but the 2hr wait for 90 sec ride is one of the worst payoffs….see also: The Barnstormer
3. Wait in the blazing sun at the “perfect spot” for a parade. Cast Members are so nice and helpful, but really the parade is terrific no matter where you view. Unless you are a future professional photographer….let the parade happen organically
4. Rope Drop to Fireworks in one park. Once we began the 2:oo Nap run to the resort we have become experts in getting two days out of one (and my kids are in their twenties)
Never say never, even to Chef Mickey’s, because: Kids.
Summit Plummet – totally agree!! While it looks fun (and a tad scary), it’s actually an uncomfortable ride down. It isn’t one long smooth tube, it is a series of them attached, and when going over the many joins on the way down, it isn’t comfortable. One slide down and my shoulder blades were raw! I did it once YEARS ago, and forgot about that part, then last visit I did it again, and immediately regretted my decision. Never again.
Never is such a long time, but I have some things I’ll never do again but first I agree 100% that the evenings in the parks are the best. The hot crowded afternoons are perfect for pool and resort time and the nights at the parks are glorious. 1). I will never over plan a Disney vacation. For those with their spreadsheets planning each minute of each day, best wishes, but I find letting a vacation play itself out is my favorite thing. A few reservations and important fast passes but other than that, we make plans while in the actual vacation. 2). No dining plan. I’ll stick to discounted gift cards and will buy only what I feel like eating. The dining plan has too much food for us. 3) I will not hit the parks on travel days or at least wait until the evening to go. We used to arrive at the resort, check our bags and hightail it to a park. By the time it was dinner, we were so tired. Now we get to the resort, if lucky head to our room and unpack, otherwise we have a nice lunch, spend an afternoon swimming and exploring the resort again. We found it to be a relief just knowing we could relax for awhile and not feel the guilt of not being in a park immediately.
Totally agree with these comments. I have been the responsible party for #1 and #3 and my wife does not let me forget it!
1. Stay at Pop Century — I hated the pop culture theme
2. Dining plan — cheaper and healthier to order grocery delivery
3. Flights of Passage/Star Tours/Mission Space Orange — minor nausea plus simulators/screen based rides are underwhelming
4. Sleep In — I love the low crowds and atmosphere at parks during rope drop
5. F&W on Friday and Saturday nights — too many drunks, crowds, and rowdiness
6. Step foot in Westside of Disney Springs (except maybe for new Cirque show) since reminds me too real world like and breaks my Disney bubble
7. Waste a Fastpass day at DHS or Epcot when nearly all my favorite attractions are at MK although I may have to use Fastpass for new Ratatouille and Mickey rides
8. Eat at a signature non-character dining restaurant since too much money
9. Eat at dinner table service on Halloween or Christmas party nights at MK since it cuts into valuable party time.
10. go from resort to resort using multiple modes of transportation
Not necessarily things I would not do at Disney, but a couple of pet peeves regarding our recent trip. We were first in line for rope drop (65 minutes early) to make a dash for Frozen. Our kiosk Magicband scanner would not work. The team member fussed with it for 1-2 minutes, called for help which took 2 minutes until they somehow bypassed the kiosk by using a hand held device. In the interim, all other lines were speeding through. They should have “zippered” us into the next line.
No one under the age of 12 should be permitted to push a stroller. Had my ankles banged 8 or 9 times, and each occurrence was by a kid pushing a stroller.
With automation, Disney resorts know which rooms are above a vacant one, and not let someone who arrives at midnight check into a room directly above an occupied room. This happened and the latecomers banged around until 3 AM.
We lined up early to watch the parade at Magic Kingdom, only to have a tall, male employee stand right next to us, blocking the view of approaching floats. He acted like a Secret Service agent, staring into the crowd, and did not crouch as some were seen doing.
Sigh, my never agains are usually someone’s favorites and I have a list of never dones. I get motion sickness very easily and even with dramamine Big Thunder Mtn. and Everest and Space Mtn. are right out. My whole family hates Country Bears and went there only twice when two of the boys were younger. They hated it so we crossed that off the list. I find Frozen Ever After to be a travesty after the old Norway ride. Currently the Hall of the Haunted Presidents, as my husband used to call it, is right out because I am afraid that I could not control myself and I have no desire to be banned from the parks.
Hahaha I can’t go in Hall of Presidents currently either.
same!
Yes, I can see where the Hall of Presidents might be off my list for the time being until we have a new resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave!
So I take it that you are upset about Obama being in the HoP then. Another that gets triggered over a Animatronic figure
Not triggered, but why waste vacay time listening to that dystopian mess of an inaugural address? Disney is my happy place. 🙂
Chef Mickeys is worth it for breakfast. We really enjoyed the breakfast food. And its win win with the kids who get to see all 6 major disney characters.
I’ve only been once, so can’t say there’s not a lot that I did that I wouldn’t do again. In fact, going back in May and already have booked a lot of similar experiences – lots of character dinners. The fast passes I got will be pretty similar, at least for the parks I went to.
I guess the one thing I did that wasn’t specifically Disney related was book a 6 am flight after 2 days of storming our way through 2 parks. With DME picking you up 3 hours before your flight, we were heading to the airport at 3 am after leaving the MK at 11pm the night before. yeah, never do that! This time, we are having DME take us to the airport at 2pm for a fake 5pm flight. we’re actually going to get a rental and drive to the beach, then take an afternoon flight home a couple days later. that’s right, we’re going to relax on our disney vacation while not spending money at disney! haha 🙂
one small quibble: nothing beats drinking old style in a dank basement.
Values during Quincinera season – same deal as Pop Warner. Security was so UN-helpful for 4 straight nights that we got our resort fees comped and I STILL felt cheated.
We just got back from the last F&W weekend, and had a great time. You’re 100% right about drunks, though. But we made the best of it with our kid and turned it into a sort of teachable-moment-zoo-outing, watching the wildlife from a bench and showing our son the dangers of overindulging. It stopped being funny really quick and was just a sad commentary on alcohol abuse. I think he was sufficiently educated. We all had a good think about how WDW is not cutting people off when they are so obviously sloshed. I don’t find it fair that they’re banning people for life because of drunken behavior when cast members are over serving x10, but what do I know.
Unfortunately, it seems like Disney often drops the ball when it comes to enforcing rules with larger groups–part of me thinks that it might be in fear of losing these huge events that bring in a ton of revenue.
It seems like they’re more willing to refund/comp things than actually deal with the problem itself.
Thanks for sharing. When is Quincinera season?
Never again? Stay at the Contemporary. Yes, the monorail is cool and the mural is lovely, but it is the most charmless of the deluxe resorts and not worth the inflated price you pay. The main floor feels like a bus terminal. We only went for a long weekend and had a RO discount, but the only way I would stay there again would be if it was free.
I don’t necessarily disagree with you–Contemporary definitely needs a refresh.
However, it’s a resort that often has convention and event rates, so I wouldn’t (personally) rule it out because it’s often a very good deal. Paying rack rate or even 25% off, though? No way.
If I am considering going in April of 2021, am I better off buying Dis tix now before price goes up?
Most tickets sold now only are valid through December 31, 2020. (In general, you should buy as early as possible to lock-in current prices, though!)
Hi Tom, off the cuff, would you recommend going sometime in the couple weeks before Thanksgiving, or between the week after Thanksgiving and before Christmas week?
If you buy now for next year. The price will only be what you paid for it this year. Once Jan1 comes around and you go to use the ticket. You will have to pay the difference if they do and will go up. It’s not like it used to be with never expire from years past.
I don’t understand why you would recommend T-Rex yet blast Rainforest Cafe. They have basically the same menu. The food doesn’t taste any different (in our opinion) at T-Rex than at Rainforest.
I agree with Chef Mickey’s. We’ve eaten there for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. The food was bad at all three. Our last time there, we waited 30 minutes past our reservation time to be seated.Then we were there for over an hour and never saw all of the characters. Total bust. But we also include Cinderella’s Royal Table on the never-again list. There’s nothing you can do to scrambled eggs and fried bacon to make it worth $50 or 2 dining credits. Disney food is over-priced, but Cinderella’s Royal Table takes over-pricing to a whole new level for what you get in return.
We went to Disney for the Christmas experience at the beginning of December this last trip. That’s also a never-again for us! It was too crowded, in spite of all the blogs saying that’s a great time to visit. We had a FastPass for Haunted Mansion and still waited almost 30 minutes to get on the ride. And it was still warm, so it didn’t feel very Christmasy. Next time, we’ll do the mid-November to avoid the crowds.
And I TOTALLY agree with not going to Epcot during the Food & Wine Festival on a weekend! We made that mistake once. Once. We tried Via Napoli, but left because it was so loud from the crowds of drunk people yelling. My granddaughter was holding her hands over her ears because it was so loud, it hurt her ears. We left without ordering. But the final straw was when a drunk walked by with his drink sloshing all over the place. When a nine-year old asks why Disney is still serving them alcohol when it’s obvious they’re drunk, you know it’s time to leave.
Yes, Flight of Passage during Extra Magic Hours is chaotic. But I’m glad I did it at rope drop; it saved me having to get a FastPass for it, which I couldn’t, since I booked the trip at the last minute. And it saved me a 100-minute line, too.
Yes, you’ve got to get up early, and hustle through the park over to Pandora, but I firmly believe in using EMH to hit attractions exactly like this — ones where everyone else on the planet wants to do it, too.
I am just back from my first , and almost certainly last, trip to WDW. If there is one piece of advice I would give to first timers like myself it’s *don’t* book 3 fast pass rides per day. You will spend your entire time at the park wondering how long it will take to get to your next ride and do you have time to eat anything or go to the bathroom. The whole day just becomes one stress ridden meh. Instead I would book one ride in the morning and then have the rest of the day to actually experience the park.
While I can understand the frustration, as I too have only been once, you do have a full hour to use fast passes on rides (plus 5 minutes grace time on front and back end – ie, can check in up to 5 minutes early and as late as 5 minutes late) and you also have to book your first 3 at least an hour apart, so there is some standard wedges in there to ensure you can get from place to place as well as stop for food.
Theoretically, you could have back to back fast passes, but have nearly a 2 hour gap between finishing the first one and going on the second on. If you book a 9:15 slot for 7 dwarfs mine train and show up at 9:10, you’ll be done by 9:20, then you have a 10:15 slot for Peter Pan’s flight, you can check in at 11:20 and still get in (Though, I wouldn’t do that, i’d get there sooner, but that does allow you better options rather than feeling rushed.)
Shows are a bit different in that you are booking for a showtime, so that’s a bit more stressful to get through.
However, I have thought about doing the FP with only booking 1 in the morning, then jumping into the My Disney Experience app and booking another to see what’s available. If you’re at a tiered attraction park, might be worth it to see if you can get fastpasses for additional good rides, rather than allotting FP’s to things you don’t really want or need.
I completely disagree about going to Disney in Mid-November. You get to experience Christmas without the crowds, what could be better!! We have already booked to do the same thing this year for our twin boys first trip to WDW and I cannot wait!! They will be 3 when we go and they are already so excited, can’t wait to see everything through their eyes
For 30 years we have been visiting Orlando the week of Christmas. For the last ten years I say “never again” and the next year the family votes to go and there I am again.
This year I was able to persuade everyone to just TRY one year at home for Christmas and go Orlando another time.
We went Sept 30-Oct 5 and it was wonderful. No real crowds for Halloween yet and still warm enough to swim. We waited 20 minutes for rides instead of hours like at Christmas. I could actually see the blacktop pavement below my feet because crowds were so low.
Now …. we will see if we can stand Christmas week at home. Lol!