Have a question about planning a trip to Disney or something you’ve read here? Hopefully this blog can help! We’ve visited every Disney resort around the world, from Walt Disney World to Tokyo Disneyland, have stayed in nearly every Disney-owned hotel in the world, and have dined at the majority of Disney restaurants.
Presumably, most of you coming to this site are here for Walt Disney World or Disneyland trip planning advice. Common questions you have can probably be answered by posts we already have written that pertain to these topics and contain links to most critical vacation planning info.
If you’re trying to plan a Walt Disney World trip, visit our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide. If planning a Disneyland trip, check out our Disneyland Trip Planning Guide. If you look on the right-hand sidebar, you’ll also find links to other key planning-related posts.
You might be wondering about other elements of your trip. If you have questions about photography or want camera recommendations, read our Photography Guide. If you want to use one of the Tom’s photos from this site on your own blog, website, etc., check out our Photo Usage page. If you have questions about what to take with you on your Disney vacation, take a look at our Unique Disney Packing List posts.
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Thanks,
Tom Bricker
Since this does not fall into media/marketing/advertising inquiry, I’m posting here instead of emailing to the above address. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but lately I’ve been frequently getting a message that webpages on your site are “using significant” energy and it’s recommended I close the page to improve the performance of my Mac. This didn’t use to be an issue and has seemed to appear over the last couple months. Sometimes it causes the page to freeze and I have to get out completely. I’ve been using Safari more lately as I’ve found it seems to run faster than Chrome lately in general, so I don’t know if it’s strictly something that changed with Safari that doesn’t work well with your site or if something changed with the in-page ads. I just thought you might appreciate a heads-up in case it’s something more widespread than just me. I will say it’s changed my habits as I don’t keep a tab open with your site like I used to and visit more periodically to look for updated posts or visit the site after getting your email newsletter.
On a completely unrelated note, I’ve been meaning for months to find a way to give a suggestion, and your recent columns have taken on a bit of this in response to many of your comments, but I’ve wanted to suggest you consider doing some type of periodic “mailbag” column. I know there are others that do it, but I liken it to Bill Simmons old ESPN columns back in the early to mid 2000s when he’d cherry-pick user submitted questions and just do a column with one or two paragraph responses to a dozen or so reader-submitted comments/questions. I realize that may be more difficult now since probably everything would be virus-related, but perhaps it’s something you could consider at some point. Obviously you’d probably be inundated with very specific trip-planning questions to have to weed out, which may just make it not worth the work, but if it was feasible, it would be nice to see some posts with a lot of random topics and opinions as well as answers to some of those things that wouldn’t generate a whole post but might be conducive to a few sentences. Of course I can’t think of any of the questions that led me to think of this suggestion, but probably things along the lines of questions about things you bring to the parks, services you’ve tried, or even weighing in with your usual snark and humor on anecdotes that people provide about little quirky things they’ve experienced on trips. Since the forums were likely killed by all the weird spam posts, it might be nice for you to have a venue to provide some snark and wit without it needing the context of an entire blog post subject.
Thanks as always for the content and hope you’re managing well during these times.
I had that happen a few times a couple months ago, and actually asked the ad provider if they could be the cause (since I hadn’t done anything differently with the site and that’s the one variable that changes) and they didn’t find any issues on their end. I haven’t seen anything since, but I’m skeptical. I’ll inquire again.
As for the reader mailbag suggestion (I did this way back in 2011/2012 and it was fun…I don’t remember why I stopped), I generally like the idea but worry that right now it’d be a lot of requests for speculation. Still, maybe something to consider if I can’t think of anything else!
Thanks for the feedback!
Hmm. Is something afoot with the WDW Marathon weekend? Early registration sold out for all races except the marathon in under an hour. Now, 45 minutes into normal registration, all races except the marathon are sold out. My guess is that Disney is severely limiting capacity at this time. However – they are saying anything about it.
Congratulations, you made me a person who has a favorite Disney World Blog. I have been planning my trip for this November since November of 2016. Being now around six months until we go, I just kicked my planning into a higher gear (it had been in first gear for three and a half years, just waiting), I started digging more into reviews and advice and every time I found myself really enjoying what I was reading it was always the Disney Tourist Blog. I love how honest you are, and how helpful, but most of all how well written everything is.
Back when the parks closed and then as that went on with no end in sight, I started to get very depressed. I’d been planning this for so long. My kids will have just turned 6 and 8 in November and I knew that whatever magical dream vacation I’d been planning either wasn’t going to happen or definitely wasn’t going to happen the way I’d been imagining it the whole time. For some reason, reading through a large chunk of this blog made me feel better about everything. Your realistic outlook on something that’s supposed to be so very UN-real, while still keeping the joy in everything really made me feel better. We’ll see what happens!
Is there a way for me to support you guys? I see a few advertisers but most of my stuff is already booked, whether its through them or a competitor. Are there more that are less obvious? I am a hairstylist and when we get back to work I will tell all my clients about you guys but they probably aren’t planning a trip and also probably want me to shut up about mine. Like I said, its been since 2016. Do social media follows help? Do you have a donation box? Patreon?
Hi Tom,
Love your blog and newsletters. I was wondering if there are any Disney podcasts that are worth listening to, any that are as informative and/or entertaining as your blog? I’d love to start listening to some while stuck at home these days.
Thanks for your awesome articles!
Carol
Hi Tom,
I just learned something very disappointing about how Disney World is handling the COVID situation in regards to tickets, and I think your readers would benefit from knowing. I just learned from Undercover Tourist, that unless I rebook my trip (I should be in WDW right now) before December 15, 2020, then the only way I can use the $ credit from my tickets is to redeem them at the gate (paying the price difference) on the first day we go to the parks. The kick in the teeth part is that it precludes one from making Fast Pass selections prior to their first day in the park! I think that is outrageous and in very poor form. I should not be penalized even more because of a pandemic! If I have tickets, and I have a hotel reservation for any date in the future, I should still be able to make my Fast Pass selections 60 days in advance. To learn that Disney won’t let you purchase your tickets with your credit on the phone, online, or in any other way beside at the gate is preposterous. I’m sure there will be many people like me unfairly penalized. Its bad enough that our son will also be considered an adult the next time we go because he turns 10 in June. UGH! I am soooooooo angry at Disney right now. Can you please make sure you let your readers know about this ridiculous policy. Maybe if there’s enough shouting, Disney will do the right thing. Thank you.
Tom,
I love your post of any and all things Disney. We have recently changed our Disneyland trip from June to October 2020. Do you have any news concerning Disneyland? I know most of your post are WDW, but I would like to see a post of DL and how/when they might plan to reopen and what the crowds will look like in October. Now that the country will open back up starting May 1st for most states, I wonder how that affects Disney’s reopening!!!!
Hi Tom! I emailed you about purchasing high resolution images. I am in Canada so printing them in the states and shipping them here is too costly and complicated. Please find my email sent to Tom@disneytouristblog.com and let me know the cost.
Thank you!
YOU CAN NOW BUY A “REAL” MICKEY WAFFLE MAKER…not the big flat kind, but the smaller fat kind like you get in Disney World. I found it for $75 on shopdisney.com. Apparently it’s part of the 90th birthday celebration merch. The waffle maker makes 6 waffles at one time by doing three on either side of the flip-able waffle maker.
We have a trip booked June 29-July 5. We are waiting on paying anything more at this time. It has to be paid in full by May 31. That’s the right move, right? And do you think we will have the opportunity for Free Dining? Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks for a wonderful blog
BREAKING NEWS!! Hotels at Ko Olina Resort, including Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa, will close starting Tuesday March 24.
Additionally, anyone coming to the Hawaiian Islands will be under a 14 day quarantine in their residence / hotel / or other arranged accomodations. Failure to comply will result in significant fines.
Has Disney indicated what impact the closure will have on the anticipated launch date of the new EPCOT fireworks show Disney Harmonious?
We are trying to book fast passes for an upcoming trip May 13-20th and anticipate the park will be open by then. We are staying at a Disney World property and are 60 days out. We can’t seem to get a calandar to come up with May dates available to select. We have tried to email a cast member and it seems they are too busy to take emails. Do you know if they are accepting fast pass reservations while they are closed? Thanks, Dave Harkness
We have tickets for March 31st and we are going to Hollywood Studios.
We were not able to get a Fast Pass for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – do you have a post on how to be sure we get on this ride?
We also intend to get on the Rise of the Resistance;
Our Fast Pass schedule follows:Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at 9:40; Star Tours -The Adventures Continue at 1:30; and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at 3:10.
Should we modify this and if yes – is there a post on how to do it? I don’t want to cancel a fast pass and be left with nothing.
Hello Tom,
Do you you if they will be offering Toy Story Land Early Morning Magic again this year? We’re going in September/October (26-3) and we’re curious if it’s something we should be considering.
Thanks,
Hi Tom
This may be a silly question but here goes anyway………
it is 180 days before we travel and I am just making out ADR’s. We want to book into Oga’s as it says reservations are highly recommended.
BUT, what if the reservation time doesn’t correspond with our BG time (assuming we are lucky enough to get one on the day)? Will we be granted access due to our ADR?
Any advice would be welcome
Alison
Hey Tom,
Love your blog. I don’t see any dates on your posts. Am I just missing the timestamp, or is it just not there? It would be most useful to have a timestamp so readers can determine the timeliness of a post. Checking the comments gives an idea of the date, but an actual timestamp would be nice. It’s disappointing to read through something and then realize it is old news.
Thanks!
Seconded. Articles with dates are immensely helpful as the internet get bloated with timely information. Love the site, but would prefer if I knew when things were written/updated at the head of the article.
Hi tom, I love your blog, very informative. My question is with all this hype in HS I am getting nervous as to how I will navigate threw the crowds to get to our character breakfast!!! how in gods name will I get through the crowds with 2 small children..HELP
I wish to unsubscribe to your emails at this time. I am not planning to attend Disney properties this year. Thank you for your wonderful newsletters and suggestions.