AVOID These LOSE/LOSE Situations In Disney World

[@christinaw8660]

So much planning and scheduling now - it takes away from the relaxing, sometimes spontaneous nature of what a vacation should be.

[@DK-kg1fe]

So true!! Disney has taken away all the magic. It's all scheduled and no spontaneous fun!!!!

[@colleenguyer5338]

I hear that too much planning sounds like a big headache

[@frankieb9444]

I managed to get the ride stuff down but needing to reserve restaurants 60 days in advance is ridiculous. We got lucky with a late cancellation at Be Our Guest but we never got into Space 220.

[@ashleighbeckman3249]

I disagree. Disney is not a "relaxing" vacation anyways. It's a fun magical move move move vacation. And that takes planning anyways. And all of the planning happens way before hand so it doesn't interfere with enjoying the trip at the time.

[@kingkrow420]

“Should” lol. Like you’re the end all be all. Go to the beach then, there’s plenty of those types of vacations you can take. Planning makes the anticipation fun for some of us

[@elainehill5931]

Please do not berate your children and call them names like chicken and scaredy cat if they are too scared to go on a ride. Do rider swap or just get over yourself and be kind to your offspring. Forcing them to do something they don’t want to do is not a win.

[@kyliewallendorff6219]

For real!!! Why do people insist on forcing their kids to do something that’s supposed to be for fun?? It’s so frustrating! I was the kid who was scared and got berated by my parents about it the entire time. 😡

[@angelita98gaby]

📢 *here say it again & louder for people in the back*

[@karig1224]

If my parents did that when I was a kid then I wouldn’t ever have gotten on a ride. Even now as an adult, I LOVEEEE rollercoasters and rides. I think the limit stands if they get physically sick. If they throw up after rides then that’s a no go.

[@himynameiscorey]

Also don’t yell at your kids saying they aren’t allowed to cry or anything because you’re at the happiest place on earth! It doesn’t work like that!

[@himynameiscorey]

@@MichaelRei99 this is true my mom would tell me not to be chicken and go on the ride, and never did I regret it, every time it’s like wow that was my favorite ride why was I so scared? Parents have to not be afraid to let their kids get a little dirt on them, metaphorically speaking

[@williamkovatch3427]

Disney has destroyed the possibility of the casual day trip. I have a friend who went to the Orlando area to visit her adult son. She brought her younger sons, and told me she was thinking of a day trip to Disney Studios or Animal Kingdom. I started asking her if she knew about the reservation system, and she was shocked. I asked her if she understood how the Disney app worked, and when to buy Genie+. Again, pure shock. I shared some KZbin videos to show her how to use all of this. She chose to go to Gatorworld, realizing Disney had just become way too much of a hassle, and an expensive one at that, for the casual day tripper. That’s a shame because I remember plenty of times when I was in college in Florida when we could just easily catch a bus, and spend a beautiful day in one of the Disney Parks.

[@howtubeable]

Yes. Long gone are the days where you could relax and enjoy the parks. Joy and spontaneity are gone.

[@Spiderific]

The world changed with the pandemic. It is what it is.

[@JPSkyeBlue]

Spiderific! This started prepandemic. I had a trip scheduled for 2020 and before Covid hit I was massively stressed with the pre-reserved Fast Passes in the app.

[@cookieaddictions]

It does suck but what else can Disney do? All these systems are a product of the fact that the parks are just so popular. They’re crowded nearly every day of the year. They could (and probably should) get rid of the entire system altogether but the truth is the only thing they can do is either drive up the price to drive down demand (and it’s not working anyway) or create a system like Genie+. There are just too many people wanting to go to WDW on any given day to make it a spontaneous trip anymore.

[@JPSkyeBlue]

@@cookieaddictions The old system of paper - and free - Fast Passes, worked pretty well from what I remember. People who wanted to take the effort to get them could make use of them. And the spontaneity was there because you were planning in the moment, that day, versus picking rides 60 days in advance, or waking up at 6:45am the day of your trip, or being glued to your smartphone all day at the park. Oh, and they were free. Which even when they changed to the MDE digital fast passes, were still free. Or maybe they change to a system like Universal - where anyone who wants to pay a significant fee, can essentially get fast passes to rides. Instead of paying a fee for Genie+ AND THEN $7-15 per person per ride for additional rides on top of that. Also, I really don't see the reasoning behind Disney driving up prices all due to an effort to drive down demand. I think Disney is quite happy with increased prices, increased demand, increased $$$. I don't think they really care if people stand in 3 hour long lines, or deal with crazy crowds - as long as there is money coming in. Plus, right now post-covid, they are capping the amount of people in the parks each day with park reservations.

[@AmnesiaDarkDecent13]

When I was too short, my grandmother forced me to wear platform sneakers to get on a ride (Splash Mountain) and for 5 years after, they kept trying to force me onto the ride even though I had been terrified by it. DONT FORCE KIDS ONTO RIDES THEY ARE TOO SHORT FOR OR TOO SCARED TO RIDE.

[@amydoran9987]

Our son used to skip the stretch room on the haunted mansion, even though this was his favorite ride. The cast members would walk us past that part and put us in the other part of the ride. this worked out great so he could avoid the part of the ride he was afraid of.

[@kat-napzzz]

Thanks for the tip. I’m claustrophobic and don’t enjoy everyone packing in that room. I’ll gladly wait longer to avoid it.

[@MP-cr7uf]

I have had several friends/family members have kids that were scared of various rides at Disney-usually has ended up boycotting rides altogether for years afterwards. Thankfully I have used the mentioned tips on how to prepare your kid ahead of time (watching POVs, talking to them about specific points of the ride, etc.), so we have avoided ride trauma. We have never forced our child to ride anything and leave the final decision completely up to her. Very few times (usually when she is not tall enough anyway), she will opt to not ride in advance and we then use rider switch; then everyone is happy. At Universal Orlando she tried the Mummy ride and wasn’t traumatized or upset after, but wanted to skip it on the following trip because it was a bit scary for her after all, which was fine. We encourage her to be always be honest and try things, but never force her to ride, respect her opinions, and do not make her feel bad for not wanting to ride. I wish more parents would do the same at all amusement parks.

[@ninabeena83]

This is the way. I’ve always loved 🎢 as a kid but my limit was the ones with loops and upside down bits. Took me until I was in my late 20s to finally conquer that, with a group of _only slightly_ judgmental but supportive friends who didn’t force me but encouraged me to try it. Never looked back lol. It’s all in the approach

[@MP-cr7uf]

Good for you! I always try to encourage others to try to conquer their fears, so that they don’t let fear prevent them from missing out!

[@Canrugger]

I actually do this with my parents and they said it made their disney trips so much more fun

[@medusathedecepticon]

This approach is a really fun and respectful way to do it, and really feels like a good middle ground. I think I'll use it if any of my younger cousins go on a trip with us. I don't understand how people consider things like this bubble wrapping or babying them. Just because you don't force your kid to ride doesn't make you overprotective, it just means you're taking your child's feelings into consideration. There's nothing wrong with encouraging the kid to try things they're scare of either but there's no reason to ridicule them. If you want everyone to enjoy the experience then you should take everyone's feeling into consideration without too much judgement. doesn't matter if you shield them more or push them more, too much of either one can cause a lot more harm than good. if you shield them too much then they may not get to experience things they would actually enjoy, while if you push them to much then you may just end up with everyone's fun being ruined due to fighting. It's one of those things where finding a good balance ends up making things better for everyone.

[@karenbrown9451]

ooog

[@loracaro4427]

If you choose to stay off property make sure that you stay in the Kissimmee area you can be extremely close to the parks . You can be maybe within 10 minutes of the parks and you will avoid a lot of the i-4 traffic so be mindful of where you do choose to stay

[@starsfalliing]

That’s a good idea, my family always stays at one of the Sheratons and recently we have been staying at the closer one and we get there so much earlier (unless the gps messes up the directions some how)

[@bandme796]

My sister and my daughter wanted to go to Galaxy's Edge but my mom and I wanted to look around more in Toy Story Land. We decided to have lunch at Woody's Lunchbox. She was able to get a stand up table a couple of minutes before I got back with our food. When another family left I went and got the table. Then I saw a mom and dad with 3 littles trying to eat at another stand up table. I went and invited them to come and sit with us. We all had a nice conversation. Mom and dad were able to get off their feet and unwind just a little while the kids ate lunch. I think sending one person through the line and grabbing a table there is a must. If not you will likely be sitting on the hot pavement or standing while you eat. BUT if you can, share your table with others instead of taking a whole table when you don't need every seat.

[@veronicajude]

I’m either by myself or with my mom and there are plenty of times I’ve either moved or shared to make things easier for a larger party. It’s an easy way to spread a little kindness. 💜

[@thomasstuart2936]

Honestly, this is one of the best times to interact with other people at Disney.

[@Spiderific]

That's very kind of you and I'm sure it was very appreciated!

[@rymallicoat]

in regards to getting a place early for the fireworks show… my sister (13) and i (16) love to hit a last minute ride on the tea cups while my mother and grandmother (who get very motion sick and tired easily) sit down and save a great spot to watch the fireworks early. it’s one of those things that have always worked for us and my sister and i get a little time to ourselves while we wait in line and ride. win win for my family and literally so much fun!!

[@Spiderific]

Lol I can go on every thrilling roller coaster, but those teacups make me dizzy! 😂

[@Shag471]

Can you do a video of Disney WITHOUT using Genie+ and Lightning Lane? Like Disney for non-planners? Shows, parades, fireworks, character m&gs and attractions that have shorter wait times at certain times of the day. Some guests like to visit without planning every minute of their day (outside of park reservations) and just want to enjoy being there…like the good ol’ days. 🙂

[@howtubeable]

I don't think it's possible anymore. Relaxing and being spontaneous is no longer an option.

[@DaniiGyalGT]

AllEars has some videos like that

[@TheSwicker316]

My son and I visited the parks the first week of March, 2022. We avoided Genie+ like it had the plague. We were able to ride all the rides and we didn't spend our entire vacation with our heads buried in our phones. Boycott Genie + save your money and avoid any videos or blogs that promote it.

[@Shag471]

@@TheSwicker316 THAT is exactly the content in a video I’d like to see. Just to prove that it’s doable. 🙂

[@Spiderific]

@@Shag471 It's doable. All Ears has done videos on it.

[@thomasstuart2936]

I think that the biggest lose/lose is tying your enjoyment of the park too tightly to any one ride/show/meal/event.

[@chatryna]

Then why would they market that ride to lure in guests?

[@morgancolley1957]

Set alarms on your phone 30 minutes to 1hr before reservations, fireworks, shows, etc. That way it gives you time to get to where you need to go.

[@JPSkyeBlue]

The last time I was in WDW was back in the days of paper fast passes. I had a trip scheduled with family in 2020…. Finally going in July. And I feel like I’m walking a very fine line of trying to research and plan enough that I feel prepared and that our family won’t end up in lose-lose situations - and of not doing too much research and planning that it stresses me out. Literally every time I start to feel good about our prep, I watch another video or read another something that makes me feel like we’re doomed before we try. When we went in the 90s and mid 2000s, my dad would have a page torn out of a book of suggested ride order and he planned park days based on suggestions from said book of best days to hit up which parks. But that was all the planning. No 60 days for dining reservations, paying for Genie+ and Lightening Lane and timing your days with your eyes glued to your smartphone. I honestly think anyone who sings the praises of these latest changes and chides those who wish for simpler times like myself, must be people who have the opportunity to go to WDW frequently. It’s easy to say “don’t get bummed if you can’t ride that ride!” if you go several times a year or even once a year. And I feel even worse for large families - if WDW had had this Genie+ and Lightening Lane business when I was a kid, that would have been an extremely difficult financial pill to swallow for my parents with our family of five. I dunno. Sorry for the Debbie Downer complaining comment - but this video just had me extra longing once again for some spontaneity with a WDW visit. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@LadyDecember]

No, no, I think you're spot-on. I'm not American, so it takes a TON of time and money for me to get there, I can't just visit whenever I get the urge. My visits are spaced _several_ years in between so I really have to make the most of my trip. All the over-planning and down-to-the-minute reservation timing and so on? It's so stressful and I gotta say, it takes a lot of fun out of the trip because it makes me fearful of what I'll miss out on and, weirdly, I begin to feel a bit shamed or made out to be an amateur by frequent Disney World/Land braggarts for not knowing all this stuff. For the record, not saying this channel is one of those braggarts. DFBGuide's presentational style and the calming, understanding voice who is pleased to educate those like me who are grateful for some tips, fantastic! I revisit this channel often from time to time. So yeah, I completely get you, the present Disney World/Land is _very_ overwhelming and I'm beginning to buckle under the pressure too.

[@emmachurcher-holt9372]

I too travel from UK and have not been since 2017. Planned a trip in 2020 and after 5 times of re-booking we are finally going next month. We are booked and reserved for a day in each park because its too expensive and too much effort to go to Disney. We anticipate queuing for one ride a day in each park. Thankfully the Orlando area has everything else we want to do. NB love AJ's voice and my daughter (now 18) always has rushed in the room when she hears her calming yet fun tones.

[@NinthShinigami]

This comment is not to be hateful (I do love the Disney parks, I swear), but a lose lose situation is actually going to the parks as they are right now. You’re paying Disney prices for subpar Six Flags/Legoland quality. The parks are also incredibly crowded, making the wait times increase dramatically. Only if you’re lucky will you probably be able to ride at least most of the attractions during the day. And I really emphasize lucky, because even with Genie+, there’s the chance you’ll still wait at least half an hour to a whole hour to get on the ride. The attractions also really haven’t been that good, definitely not when compared to what Disney was providing us then. Only thing still worth the price at Disney is honestly the food, but you have to be real careful cause some of it is incredibly pricy! I understand the whole world flipped these last two years. I understand we all need a break. I understand we all just need to go somewhere to have fun, relax, and savor moments with our family. Disney World is not the only place in the world to do that. Besides other Orlando parks like Universal and SeaWorld, think about cruises, road trips to other states, even international travel. You can pay the prices for each of those things AND get your money’s worth. Go to the parks if you want to. If you absolutely need to. Just realize you might be facing a lose lose situation, and there are ways to avoid doing so.

[@apfelbasket]

You can cancel your reservations in person & avoid the $10 fee. I had to return to the resort to change my shoes which fell apart on me & had to travel to the resort to change but knew we wouldn't get back in time for the reservation. We walked to the place to cancel an hour before hand & explained & they didn't charge us the cancel fee!

[@louannacurley7795]

The $10 fee applies to each person in your party. It was super easy to book the reservation but really difficult to cancel a reservation and we were canceling our dinner reservation 24 hours in advance! It took 45 minutes on the phone trying to cancel our reservations and we knew that someone would grab that reservation. This was during spring break in March 2019. I'm retired military and used a military discount for 2 rooms for five people and it was still pricey staying at Port Orleans Riverside (use to be Dixie Landings back in the late 80's-90's and rooms were around $100) I'm very disappointed in the way Disney has changed but I've been there 12 times so I'm not interested in having to be on the Iphone for shortest lines, and making all the reservations. Plus it's becoming too expensive to fly from California to Orlando and stay for 8-9 days in order to visit all the parks. And now the park hopper tickets can't be used at multiple parks on the same day until after a specific time. I loved the park hopper as you could cover 3 parks in a day or more depending on how ambitious you were. Now that my G-kids are now 17-20 they and the rest of the family are headed to Orlando in June 2023. I will pass and head for Vegas instead as it is only an hour away and no plane changes and hopefully no airline cancellations.

[@veronicajude]

Happy Monday, y’all!

[@mercedeshall3306]

AJ I want to thank you and your staff for all that YOU do! I know it’s not the easiest navigating the parks! Because of you and your TEAM me and my husband have had a AMAZING TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD LAST WEEK!!! Without YOU we would have not been so successful!!! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

[@mercedeshall3306]

And….. We just got back Sunday evening and I’m already planning our next trip!!! ❤️🥰😣😉

[@Spiderific]

My husband and I are currently planning our first trip. Do you mind telling me where you stayed and how it was? We are having a really hard time deciding on a hotel lol.

[@mercedeshall3306]

@@Spiderific lol I know the feeling. Do not stay at the Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista. A bit outdated and pretty dirty. We were barely there so we decided not to make a stink about it. We will not be staying at that resort again.

[@Spiderific]

@@mercedeshall3306 Thank you so much! I can scratch that off the list of possibilities now lol. I'm glad your trip was good despite the bad hotel stay!

[@mercedeshall3306]

@@Spiderific thank you! I hope you and your husband have a fabulous trip!

[@JustinDoesDisney]

I've had good luck calling Disney on Saturday afternoons. I guess most people have their plans in place by the weekend and are at the parks! 👍🏼

[@gamerg1rl761]

While I agree that we should not feed the animals in the parks, I gotta say that if a squirrel jumped on my table and started stealing fries from my plate, it would probably make my day 😂

[@thankyouverymuch]

That's some expensive squirrel food! 😂

[@kr9807]

We were on hold recently and the hold music was not playing, but a voice saying repeatedly “we estimate your call will be answered in less than ten minutes.” I can’t imagine waiting through that for hours.

[@philrob1978]

No. Having to be up and ready at 7am, on a vacation, having flew 8 hours over from the UK. just to be able to ride anything - No. I'm on what is a vacation that is something that I''d do once every 5 years. It's expensive. I'm supposed to be having a relaxing time. I'm not getting up at 6:30. I'll go to Universal instead.

[@thankyouverymuch]

Once every 5 years?! Holy cow, you must be well-paid! I'm in my 40s and have never had a vacation in my whole life! When you live in the US, only the super wealthy (like, the people who can afford Disney World) can take vacations.

[@Magicaldoompotato]

The chat thing has been ridiculously long lately. I sat with it up and waiting for 4 hours with no response then it said my question had been solved when no one answered. I tried 3 more times same thing happened each time. I finally called and spoke with someone after only a 30 minute wait. All I wanted to know was the battery life of the magic bands and if they had an exchange program for a discount if the battery was dead because we never got to use the ones we got back in 2020 I'd still respond the chat first cuz it is easier to be on hold on that than on a call but after an hour just try to call.

[@mela1580]

Hours on hold is unacceptable for a company promising a "magical" experience. I understand staffing concerns due to COVID, however Disney is not your local mom & pop shop. They are one of the largest corporations in the world, and could easily solve this issue if consumers demanded it.

[@TrekBeatTK]

Covid is no excuse. How is tele-help not a work from home job?

[@sabra8128]

The ride closures happened to me in April. I was so excited to take my husband on expedition Everest. We were watching one of your videos and you mentioned it being closed. I was so sad! But we still had an amazing time

[@ircwidow9805]

Every time I hear about rider swap I am disappointed that the cast members did not mention this when my 6 year old was too scared to ride Rockin' Roller Coaster after seeing the shoulder harnesses. My husband stayed back with her and wasn't able to ride.

[@1daughter1son]

Such a fun ride!

[@stxrrymidnight]

Yeah I didn’t know! I came to Disney last year around this time. Is rider swap new?

[@bayoutown1990]

I made the mistake of saying "yes" to riding Big Thunder Mountain when I was in my 30s. I almost passed out on the turns. It was horrible. I hate rides like that. I don't ride any of the roller coasters and extreme motion rides. I like the dark rides or the rides that go slowly and tell a story. I have Aspergers Syndrome as most of my family members do. Flashing lights, loud sounds, and extreme motions are extremely upsetting to me. However, I thoroughly enjoy Disney. There are lots of gentle things to do for people like me.

[@the_red_key8825]

Disney Genie+ is a waste. You can only book one experience at a time, so if you book one for near park open, you have to wait either the 120 or until you get in the line of the ride for the reservation. So in that time it will take for that 120 minutes or until you get on that one ride, all the other good rides are GONE. I was so pissed, sitting there refreshing all day trying to get some of the other good rides, and not the rides with no to little wait times. I felt like i didnt enjoy the park bc I was constantly on the app looking for rides. Those rides almost never opened, and the few times something would show up, I’d click it and the app would tell me the opening was gone. So the app doesnt hold, even for a few seconds, to give you the chance to see what’s on your screen and make a choice. I wont ever pay for it in it’s current form again. I thought it would save us time with our two park days, but it did nothing for us, outside of that first ride. $15 and one ride…nope!

[@liltayshe]

I’d like to add with memory maker, you can get your money’s worth too if you have friends or family to share the cost! Because if they are in your party they get all the photos too! I love that! Not only do I not have to worry about sharing the photos and figuring how to get all them to my party but I love that it also takes some of the stress out of cast members needing your phone every time (being a girl I can’t always have my phone easily ready when pockets are tiny or nonexistent) and it actually made me stop for photos more on a whim especially if you notice a photographer with no line 😝

[@mightyfilm]

I wouldn't throw a pretzel at a duck at a Disney park. It would probably get angry, jump around and punch at the air, and then call you a "big palooka" in a squawky voice.

[@toma.7065]

Seeing how expensive/planning-heavy Disneyland/world has become, I've just burried my plans to visit one of those parks ever again. So much less greedy theme parks here in germany and surrounding areas anyways.

[@kts64]

It's totally mobile, mobile, mobile, you go to Disney to enjoy a holiday NOT CONSTANTLY ON A MOBILE PHONE, BOOKING THIS & THAT, I DON'T GO ON HOLIDAY TO BE CONSTANTLY ON MY PHONE 😡😡😡 THIS ISN'T THE BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD ITS THE WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD , NOONE SHOULD HAVE TO DEPEND ON A MOBILE PHONE WHEN ON HOLIDAY GIVE US A BREAK WHEN ON HOLIDAY 😡😡😡😡

[@NinthShinigami]

Fr fr, at least when I go to Uni I’m just checking the waiting times not to do a whole bunch of stuff like mobile order and LL

[@TheMasterDisney]

Glad you mentioned that about saving seats! If I am sitting and I don't even have my food and I see someone with their order and no place to sit and eat I'm gonna give them my spot 100% of the time. Gotta think of how you would feel in that situation!

[@adyreno2797]

My friend and I used my Dad’s travel points at the Lake Buena Vista Holiday Inn and it was perfect for an off property stay. If you have points I highly recommend, and even if you don’t it was still much cheaper than an on property stay.

[@johnh6345]

I love your vids. Very good information. To bad Disney doesn't watch them too. The waiting on hold is a Disney problem; that they won't fix because they don't have to. They need more personnel and that costs money. Having good customer service used to be a Disney calling card and over the past 15 years they have decided that if you don't like us, someone else will so "go away". Try complaining after your trip and it's even worse, it's ignored. Walt is rolling over in his grave as to what he dreamed and what it has become.

[@veronicajude]

Right!? I’m close enough to drive to a customer service spot on property and it’s definitely faster than waiting on the phone for them.

[@kegokorp]

Disney needs to go out of business. That's the only thing that will fix them. If they started going bankrupt they would be more than happy to offer decent customer service. It will be nice to see the State of Florida totally break them. They need to be taught a lesson

[@emmachurcher-holt9372]

They will only learn their mistakes if people talk with their feet. Instead of a length of holiday ticket (I am in UK) we have bought a 4 day ticket and will visit 1 day in each park saving us around £2000 fir the family. But the other parks in the Orlando area are getting our cash and time.

[@johnh6345]

@@kegokorp it's not right for a state to put one company on their radar to hurt them

[@puckpuff8719]

Thanks so much for all of these helpful videos DFBGuide! We're in Orlando right now and have been able to use so many of your tips. Especially the food ones!

[@veronicajude]

Agreed! I could never keep all of the new food, snack, and drink changes without AJ and the team.

[@tmsala59]

Disney Is Making It So Complicated To Visit, All The Magic Is Gone! Period!💖💖

[@whatsupitsme]

My fireworks recommendation is to hit the line at 7 Dwarves Mine Train like 5-10 minutes before the fireworks start (if the line is about to the building) and then miss a good chunk of the fireworks only to have them accent your ride. And then watch the end, or head on over to Haunted Mansion or Big Thunder railroad. As a kid I sort of had a love-hate, mostly hate, attitude towards rides (Cedar Rapids, Kings Island), but I've always loved Disney. But my first visit was at 11. And I knew about rides from my previous white knuckling through rides in my earlier youth. The only ride that I hated - Haunted Mansion. Kids with a big imagination may be freaked out by that one.

[@winniethepoodle]

AJ, you are my favorite Disney reviewer! I always check out your vids when Im planning a trip or just want to get some Disney magic when Im saving for the next trip. thank you for the detailed and honest reviews.

[@gerrysalvati7311]

Disney genie + is a lose lose situation. Period

[@demofighter]

AJ could y'all make a video about the best parks for parents with kids under 38 inches? We did a trip recently and realized the power of magic kingdom and Epcot for our smaller kids

[@itsjustjuice184]

I get how important its is for people to know why not to feed the animals but I really didn’t want to know that may died during the closures. Now my heart is broken and I won’t be able to un-remember that. So incredibly sad.

[@ns-uo7it]

THANK YOU for talking about not feeding the animals! I’ve learned this in ornithology, feeding birds makes them dependent on humans and messes up their migration patterns! This also applies to other animals such as feral cats!

[@klobiforpresident2254]

I have learned in the local park that I'm probably not supposed to hand seed to the ducks but the perfect enforcement mechanism are aggressive pidgeon swarms landing on the hand that feeds the other birds, no, go away, this is for the ducklings! Sorry, got carried away there.

[@Tony-nf8hk]

I have to start by saying that I'm grateful we have an option to bypass the lines in genie +. It was seriously no fun visiting and waiting in line for everything. That being said I really dislike paying for the service and then being forced to wake up and compete with everybody else at 7:00 a.m. on my expensive vacation. Also the best rides are literally gone within the first 30 seconds. I would really prefer more of a universal type option where you pay a high fee and then you can just go directly to a shorter line for every ride without the stress of making reservations or waking up early. To make it fair maybe they could just add on this option for people who don't mind paying extra on top of genie + to skip all the reservation nonsense. Disney's marketing is that this program is supposed to add additional options for people who don't mind paying but it's broken in my opinion. Adding on another tier opens up more reservations for those using genie + and less fuss for those willing to pay to not have to do that.

[@kimmccarthy7747]

The problem is, if they did create an extra, extra pay to get on a shorter line deal, so many people would buy it it would become a long line anyway. This is already happening. There have been videos of absolutely nobody in the standard wait line and hours long lines in the Genie lanes. Worse, you can't go into the standard lines to avoid the Genie lines, because the cast members will tell you they have to take all the Genie people first. The whole system is a disaster.

[@Tony-nf8hk]

@@kimmccarthy7747 I think the key is to make the higher priced option expensive enough that it's prohibitive to most but not as expensive as a VIP tour.

[@kegokorp]

Or just get rid of the system altogether and go back to lightning lanes that worked just great. There's no need for them to make it overly complicated

[@dunkindonuts6585]

What your asking for is available at Universal.

[@cheriebijeaux9959]

Yeah but if they did that Disney wouldn’t make an absurd amount of money.

[@NimlothEnnue]

Thanks for all your videos, they helped me be super prepared for our trip last week and we had a great time! Genie+ and ropedropping helped us basically avoid all long lines!

[@janspl]

IIt is no vacation if you need to plan everything and wait for several hours to ride any ride. It is no vacation if you need to look at your telephone all the time. i ll skip the whole thing. Disney has lost it s magic.

[@damsamiam]

Another cool place to watch the fireworks if your not picky about the front is IN Cinderella Castle. They play the music and can give you fun trivia.

[@breannatatel_]

Our five year old had a mental breakdown on a Merry-go-round because it was older it made a lot of loud noises. It was of course difficult to handle considering our 3 other children wanted to ride all the rides one of us had to sit out with her. Thankfully we brought extra grown ups with us! But definitely agree do not force your kids on rides, you’re just going to cause more issues.

[@phantomnyx3639]

That tip about not feeding the animals just made me remember something that happened on my very first trip to Disney World. I visited Disney World for the very first time when I was nine. I remember getting off space Mountain, and we all decided to get some lunch at that quick service restaurant in tomorrowland. My grandmother had ordered a hotdog, and I remember going and ordering it for her. I saw some seagulls flying overhead, and they were looking down upon everyone. I honestly thought it was pretty ominous, like some thing out of the birds. Lol but anyway, I remember taking my tray with food and going back to our table. Then my grandmother stuff is ready, so she went over to pick up her hotdog at the counter. I remember eating and watching as she was walking back towards us, however she failed to notice the birds overhead. Suddenly out of nowhere a seagull swoops down and takes the hotdog right out of her bun. It was so funny that even everyone that was around the quick service restaurant at the time could not stop laughing. Luckily though my grandmother was given another free hotdog. But that is probably the funniest memory that I have while at Disney World.

[@Ajax4Hire]

Wow, the list of W.Disney Phone numbers is worth the price of admission; So awesome, much thanks.

[@kevinpizza7]

Great points, but about calling Disney; I book with a travel agent and after getting hold of a Disney rep, I was abruptly told that since I didn’t book with Disney directly, that she could not talk to me. Which for me, is an unknown perk as calling travel agent was much easier than calling Disney. But maybe something they could put in the phone tree message. Now I only use travel agent for Disney trips as I much prefer not to have to start my vacay on hold.

[@BreaRose]

I love photopass! After I ride my fav rides first thing in the morning, I’ll grab some photos afterwards.

[@lidicefernanda]

Small world Vacations doesn’t answer😢 I tried to book a trip to WDW ( resort reservation + tickets ) I filled the form on their website on Friday , they supposed to get in touch with you in 24h . Today is Tuesday afternoon and still nothing. A few months ago I got in touch with them to check about prices and a few questions I had …. They didn’t answer. Is there another travel agency you recommend? PS: this channel is awesome 👏 👏👏

[@Bailey.Morgan123]

We purchased Memory Maker for our next vacation, which is less that 20 days!!! We are so excited and so ready for our extra wonderful vacation (only reason why it’s extra special is because we have AJ and DFB team to thank for all the extra tips and tricks)!

[@DFBGuide]

Get ready to say cheese! 🧀📸

[@Bailey.Morgan123]

We definitely will! Can wait to make some magical memories! ✨📸😁

[@barbaranot7958]

I know it is expensive- but I always buy it. You know you will have Quality, correctly exposed photos. And your entire family will be in every picture!

[@bobmclennan1727]

The American Pavilion at EPCOT is probably the drunkest single spot in all of DisneyWorld. Because it's dead-center of the World Showcase, it's where far, far too many adults who are six drinks in regardless of which end they started from become officially, unmistakably capital-D Drunk. It's also where they realize that they're only halfway through their booze-filled journey, so things can get real ornery in the afternoons when Person A wants to keep drinking but their partner is in desperate need of a nap or at least some shade. I doubt the park's imagineers did this on purpose, but I do appreciate how this system brings out the "ugly American" stereotype even in EPCOT.

[@stephaniepenafigueroa7490]

I enjoy your videos it brings me so much joy and happiness when they come up on my KZbin. I have learned so much, getting ready for our trip.

[@yoda908]

Thank you for posting these videos. My family and I are actually planning a Florida trip hopefully this Summer.

[@pazzariatv]

**DRINKING AROUND THE WORLD - KEY TIP!** Hey there, all! Ya know.... If you, REALLY, REALLY MUST have your alcohol, in EVERY country (or close to it), consider trying the alcohol selections at the Epcot food festival booths. For not as much money, and not nearly the portion size, a good amount of those drinks are absolutely delicious, and you will be able to pace yourself better. You will also be able to find some INCREDIBLY unique selections, that you may never, ever see again! All the best!

[@NinthShinigami]

Genie+ is a complete lose lose situation. Whether your standby or LL, the app really hasn’t made any beneficial difference in waiting times. LL still had to wait for ONE HOUR AND A HALF to get on Ratatouille and ROTR! It might just be the crowds, but that doesn’t really help the situation either.

[@ashkhol]

All this really just makes me think “Why the hell are people paying for this?” The whole “oh yeah just show up and have your phone ready as soon as the park opens! it’s so easy!” is a big no. You shouldn’t have to be there when the parks open to have a good experience. Disney is literally starting to make people pay because they know they can. They know the standby lines are awful, and thought “what if we replaced this complimentary system with a system that forces people to wake up early and spend more money?” It’s all absolutely ridiculous.

[@lizbecker1677]

Planning a trip to Disney, and actually navigating around seems like a big hassle to me. I would never want to get this stressed out on a vacation. Give me a beach on a tropical island and a margarita. No that's a vacation!

[@TheWuffball]

We’re here for the week now, using the guide this time 👍🏻

[@amberbriggs7805]

Joey said that, not Chandler! But he WAS wearing Chandler's clothes. Lolol

[@Lucretiaseesall]

Once again a terrific video with a LOT of great advice!! Yup It's me the DW Newbie! Finally going in Feb of 2023. Anybodies out there ever been to DW in Early February? What could I expect weather-wise? Cool, chilly, warm, hot, all of the above with rain in the mix too? Any and all feedback greatly appreciated !

[@nn6152]

It can be cold in February. Make sure to bring a sweater, just in case.

[@Lucretiaseesall]

@@nn6152 Thank you! I plan on packing layers ! Will include a sweater on my list

[@NinthShinigami]

@@Lucretiaseesall take sneakers, or shoes you’re comfortable with since you’re gonna be walking a lot, and it’ll help keep your feet warm (with socks ofc) in case it is cold down here in FLA during Feb. If you can bring an umbrella just in case (like in your backpack)

[@Lucretiaseesall]

@@NinthShinigami Packing two pairs of very good walking shoes so I can alternate! Ditto a Lot of socks and a raincoat with a hood ! I'll be traveling with my Cousin who is a DW veteran and will instruct me on what else to pack as well !! Thank you !

[@wendykieffer9567]

I must have gotten lucky. Just called Disney a couple days ago and didn’t have to wait at all for someone to answer. I was in shock. Had every thing taken care of in about 5 min.

[@CatManCatClan]

Disney has become a money eating long line with over an hour wait to do anything. You're lucky to ride 6 rides in a 16 hour day. It is unacceptable that the waits to eat or ride a shuttle are often as long as the attractions. Nobody I know plans to ever visit their parks again. Way too expensive and too little value!

[@kts64]

Genie + is a ripe off, I know someone that bought genie + they seen a 1.30pm time so when they booked it, it jumped to a 5.30pm slot which they couldn't use so it was a waste of money, I've also heard that when you pay for genie + not always you get any rides, so you paid $15 for genie + & ride or rides you can't get on, that's alot of money to waste if it's a family that's spent $15 per person, per rides , it's not as if you get money back either GET RID OF GENIE + ITS A RIP OFF & TAKING MONEY YOU CAN'T GET BACK WHEN NO RIDES OR TIMES AVAILABLE 😡😡😡😡

[@SpidermanFan92]

The best advice I can give is eat a big breakfast before you go and pack a sack lunch you can eat in line. Every minute in Disneyland costs you a pretty penny so make sure you get the most out of it.

[@deankhieu]

This has been so helpful!! TY so much from Australia!!

[@disneydeefan7510]

your introduction is exactly what my feb 22 trip was like...first time it has ever happened and I have been more than a few times

[@NoBSEateries]

Always love your tips, especially calling the right number for what you need is awesome!

[@jenniferstewart99]

Westgate!! It's awesome, cheap, and won't take u long to get there, no traffic, and no tolls! My mom rents hers out, so if ur interested, let me know

[@JS-ls5pw]

The photographers uniforms has now changed. They have really bright shirts now

[@user-or6yn8pm3c]

They need some kind of air refresher system. The park stinks in the summer of body odor.

[@kimt8162]

Don't take it personal if you have the teenager who used to love going to Disney; suddenly doesn't want to go and would rather stay at home to hang out with friends (whom they see all the time anyways). At my last trip I literally observed this at the Hollywood Dine. The table next to me; teenagers with their parents. The teenagers wouldn't even wave at Mickey, didn't want a picture and spent the whole dinner arguing with each other. I too have a teenager who I set up the whole Spring Break at Disney and at the LAST MINUTE didn't want to go. Yep, I went by myself and have learned my lesson. I really think it's a phase, so until they actally talk about it; yep; NOT going.

[@timeabarna6882]

We liked using Genie+ during our recent trip. (May 1-15). We had some difficulties on our first day however it turned out that Genie+ was not as confusing as it appeared to be on videos. The 120 minute rule easily bacame our best freind and our average LL count was 4 big rides per day, We hardly spent any time on the phone. We had problems with Genie two times, once i did not realize that we recieved an earlier LL time so we missed it, the other time our ride was closed due to lightenining and as we were already tapped in, LL did not turned to multiple experience ticket by itself. In both cases Guest Experience Cast Members did their magic and turned our LLs to anytime passes. We will definately use the system again. I'm surprised to see comments regarding being on the phone all the time. We spent an overall 5 minutes per day on the phone. So on medium busy days you can use Genie+ without watching the screen all the time. When we tapped in I pulled out my phone in the queue, booked next LL, edited the selections for the next candidates and put away the phone not looking at it for the next 1-2 hours. Went on shows or filler rides in between. We had 4 days without any plan to test spontanity and those days were one of our most relaxed days, easily booked the LLs we wanted and not waited more then 10 minutes for anything. Even did rookie mistakes like rope dropping Pooh. Thanks AJ and your team for all the info, we had a blast and magic is still there for us, can't wait to go back.

[@genaleighmoss7247]

I had a non-pressing question and sent an email. Disney called me back to answer my question personally. So if your trip is months away, that may be an option.

[@glynismccartneyintricatesc5281]

I never understand why you always say to get an Orlando hotel, instead of Kissimmee.

[@mikelynch920]

I’m never taking my family to Epcot at the end of the night anymore. *Way* too many violently aggressive drunks with no security around.

[@silentpaw]

I'm just glad to hear the Nemo Seagulls have left EPCOT. When I was working there, the seagulls were very aggressive about stealing food. I've heard stories of them stealing hot dogs right out of the buns. And I have seen more than one person getting attacked at the McDonald's booth that use to be in Canada for their fries.

[@Spiderific]

They are strong birds. Once my mom had her entire lobster stolen off her plate! Not at Disney, but still😆

[@terraprice8928]

Have you done a video about which rides have flashing lights for guest who make have a sensory issue?

[@SarahB1863]

7:00 I do not get why the concessionaires at WDW fill those big cups up to the brim when they don't have lids. Of course they're going to spill, they're top-heavy! If you aren't going to provide lids, then leave about an inch at the top so the cup isn't so top-heavy. Also, yeah, Columbia Harbour House has an upstairs seating area - but the only way to get there is up a flight of slippery stairs and there's no way to hold the handrail because you're balancing a tray with your food and a brimming-full cup of pop! I know because I VERY nearly fell down those stairs trying to get up them when I was there. Horrible design. There should be an elevator, or make the stairs wider.

[@beckini]

THANK YOU for all of these wonderful videos and all this great information! My sister and I are going on our dream vacation to Disney World for the 1st time ever in September. We will be celebrating her 61st birthday. I've been taking tons of notes and pouring over your videos! I have to use a wheelchair. Do you have any tips to share about lining up for rides in a wheelchair? THANK YOU!!!!!!!

[@apfelbasket]

Some of my worst experiences in Walt Disney World is involving drunk people. Especially people too drunk to take care of their own kids!

[@apriljordan1305]

So what are the busy times for lunch and dinner exactly?

[@anthonyfichera6079]

It's too much work to qo on a Vacation at Disney now. Nevermind the increasing cost / loss of perks on the daily. Our family just stopped going to Disney due to all of these factors. It's not enjoyable anymore.

[@medusathedecepticon]

oh my gosh rider swap sounds useful and nice!

[@curator3539]

It does stink that you kind of HAVE to do a bunch of planning if there are specific things you HAVE to do at Disney. I feel like they have a tendency to oversell tickets for each day so it's so stressful and crowded that it's too mich.

[@laurallewien2165]

Yay AJ , a Shining reference, nice shot! Great video as always 👍

[@RedwoodTheElf]

I went to the Blue Bayou once, and they had this amazing chicken with vanilla sauce, that apparently was a chef specialty, because they didn't have it on my next trip.

[@clover506]

15:56 this happened to me but I don’t have much of a chance to go again until I’m an adult and the only reason why we missed it is because my siblings were complaining about being hungry

[@breezywithkids]

The biggest pickle that we had was our stroller was moved and we couldn’t find it we had to run to the other end of the park with 3 hot kids age 5 and under and run through a parade to get to our dining reservation on time we were so worried we wouldn’t be able to find the stroller and trying to cool off from the run with three kids that we didn’t get to fully enjoy our meal.

[@catmomjill]

With the prices and Mr. Paycheck in charge, just going to Disney is a lose/lose situation.

[@rachelk7784]

Rider swap doesn't help if you are a parent with child(ren) and no second adult. I loved going to Disney with my toddler/pre-schooler, but she was tiny and easily scared, so I was just limited.

[@barbaramanning337]

To me, it is worth the money to stay on property. I stayed off property once and never again! I did not have a car and the shuttle the hotel had was inconvenient. Uber rides got expensive. The hotel was nice but the other perks were missing.

[@Unknownboi88]

On hold at Disney....if you have a pixel use the "on hold for me" feature

[@breanal.9779]

I love friends and loved the chandler reference.

[@poppymarshmallow8344]

I wouldn't take your child/children to any theme park, but especially Disney because it's so expensive before they turn an age where they can understand what's happening. You want them to remember that experience and go on as many rides as possible. Edit: I'm talking about babies, crying prone tots or very young kids, such as 2 or 3 Edit 2: you can if you want, but I'm just giving you advice. Plus, if you have crying kids, it's so annoying in a large queue.

[@alexdalfonso6355]

HOW does Disney not have a 1800 number though? As a non-American...8 hrs on hold with LD charges? Arghhh

[@jeremydahl1996]

I wanted to take my daughter to Disney World. Unfortunately, after going to Disneyland nine years ago for nine days (seven days too many) the experience still haunts me.

[@maggieroche5168]

Can you do a video on prioritizing restaurants for dining reservations? I'm traveling with my family and I'm nervous about getting a signature dining but not a character dining or vice versa.

[@XieronDraxin]

They did videos ranking all the restaurants in each Disney Park already! Its on the channel!

[@beakersgarage383]

I'm not an expert but I've heard the best way to get through drinking around the world is to only have 1 or 2 sips of each drink. I'd say it'll probably be more expensive since you're wasting most of the drink (ie not getting your money's worth), but I can also see it being a cool story to tell. Can anyone confirm or deny this is a good way to do it?

[@izzyblitzy]

The only time I ever drank around the world I did it with my best friend. We would take turns buying the drink at each country, so each of us only had to buy half the drinks, saving money. Then, we would each take a few sips of the drink and whoever liked it best would finish it. Yea I didn’t fully drink every drink, but I was still verrrry tipsy by the end. If you have a good friend or family member you don’t mind sharing drinks with, I recommend. Saves money and keeps both of you from getting too drunk

[@beakersgarage383]

@@izzyblitzy not a bad idea actually. Thanks!