Ask Tink: When Can I Book FastPasses?

"I heard that you can now book FastPasses in advance of your trip. When and how can I do that?"

     Good question! Thanks to the Tinker that sent it in! Yes, with the new FastPass+ system, you can actually reserve your FastPasses prior to arriving at Disney, and it is very smart to do so. What's a FastPass? Sort of like having a reservation for an attraction. You'll be given an hour long block of time to visit your selected attraction and you will use a special queue line, turning your wait time into one that is usually about 15 minutes or less. 

     If you are staying on a Disney Vacation Package, which includes a Disney resort stay and park admission, you can reserve your FastPasses 60 days, plus the number of days of your stay, prior to your arrival date. (Confused? Ok, so if you are coming for a 5 days trip, you can book your FastPasses 65 days before your arrival date.) If you are not staying on a package, but you do have park admission in the form of either daily park tickets, or an annual pass, you can reserve your FastPasses 30 days prior to the date you want to book them for. If you do not have park admission, and plan on buying tickets onsite, you will not be able to pre-reserve your FastPasses, but you can still get them at in-park kiosks, or through the My Disney Experience app, once you link your park admission.

     In order to book, you will want to create a DisneyWorld.com, or My Disney Experience log on for yourself. Once you have done that, you will need to add your park ticket to your account. If you are booked on a package, you can usually enter your reservation number, and it will locate and attach your tickets for you. If you have a physical ticket, or wristband, just scan or enter the number on the back of the ticket, or enter the number on the back of the wristband, and you'll be all linked up. Then you will select the option for FastPass+ and then the date and park you want to book. Your available attraction options will appear, and they include character meet and greets, preferred parade viewing, preferred fireworks viewing, and most attractions. You may book up to three attractions per day. Don't worry though. Once you have used your FastPasses for the day, you can get more at the in-park kiosks. You can even switch parks if you have a Park Hopper, and get more FastPasses for the second park at the kiosk. 

     Yes, you will have to do some extra pre-planning and have an idea of what park you want to be in on which days, but it's also going to be hugely helpful when other Guests are waiting 3 hours to meet Anna and Elsa and you sail in and see them in 15 minutes! I recommend that you have a park map pulled up when you book your FastPasses, so that you don't schedule yourself to crisscross all over the park and waste valuable time. 

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: FastPass+ for Eat to the Beat

Good evening, Tinkers!

     Hey, I just read that this year, for the first time ever, Epcot is going to offer FastPass+ for the Eat to the Beat Concerts during Food and Wine Festival! Pretty awesome! That means you don't have to be in line 2 hour before the show starts, in order to get in to see your favorite artists perform. Just show up with your Fastpasses on your Magic Band or park ticket 20 minutes before the showtime that you have reserved. Fastpasses are now available and can be booked 60 days, plus the number of days of your stay, (up to 74 days), out for Guests staying in Disney Resorts, and 30 days out for Annual Passholders and daily ticket holders.


   
Just a reminder of the concert lineup:

September 25th-27th: David Cook (American Idol/"The Time of My Life")
September 28th-29th: Wilson Philips ("Hold On")
September 30th-October 1st: Christopher Cross ("Sailing")
October 2nd-4th: Starship starring Mickey Thomas ("We Built This City")
October 5th-7th: Smash Mouth ("Walkin' on the Sun")
October 8th-9th: The Pointer Sisters ("I'm So Excited")
October 10th-11th: 38 Special ("Caught Up In You")
October 12th-13th: Rick Springfield ("Jessie's Girl")
October 14th-16th: Sugar Ray ("Fly")
October 17th-18th: SOS Band ("Take Your Time, Do It Right")
October 19th-21st: Air Supply ("All Out of Love")
October 22nd-23rd: Fuel ("Shimmer")
October 24th-25th: Tiffany ("I Think We're Alone Now")
October 26th-28th: Dennis DeYoung of STYX ("Come Sail Away")
October 29th-30th: Jo Dee Messina ("Heads Carolina, Tails California")
October 31st-November 1st: Everclear ("Father of Mine")
November 2nd-4th: Boyz II Men ("Motown Philly")
November 5th-6th: Sister Hazel ("All For You")
November 7th-9th: Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy ("Go Daddy-O")
November 10th-12th: Hanson ("Mmm Bop")
November 13th-14th: Maxi Priest ("Close To You")
November 15th-16th: Chaka Khan ("I'm Every Woman")

Ask Tink: Is a Park Hopper Necessary?

"Is a Park Hopper necessary? It really ups the price of a ticket and I'm  wondering if we could save some money by NOT getting that feature."

                                 

Thank you to the Tinker that submitted the above question! Going to the parks isn't exactly cheap, so saving money where you can is important. Unfortunately, the answer for this one isn't really a simple yes or no. It depends on how much is on your "Must Do" list and how well you plan.      Firstly, regular Disney park tickets allow you to access one park per day. So if you buy a standard Magic Your Way 4 Day ticket, on the first day of your trip, you decide which park you're going into that day and once you enter the gate, that is the ticket your park is good for on that date. You can select a different park each day, and you may leave, and return to the same park on the same day, but you cannot switch parks in the middle of the day. THAT is what a Park Hopper does for you. Adding the Park Hopping feature to your ticket allows you to say, have breakfast at Crystal Palace in The Magic Kingdom, then hop a bus so that the kiddos can sing-a-long with Elsa and Anna at The Studios. You can switch parks, throughout the day, as many times as you want. It's a very convenient and useful feature. Very rarely would you ever NOT find an occasion to use it. But the big question is, can you get by without it?      Park Hoppers are most useful for two scenarios. One, you're only in town for a short visit, (4 days or less), and you want to pack in as much as you can. A Park Hopper will help you because when Animal Kingdom closes as early as 5pm, you'll be able to go over to Epcot or The Magic Kingdom and still get in some rides and fireworks. Two, you're at Disney for more than 4 days and will be repeating parks. Chances are, you're not going to need to go to Animal Kingdom or The Studios for more than one full day, (or maybe you won't even need a full day), but you want the option to go back and ride Everest again, or see Fantasmic! You'll be glad you have the Park Hopper in that case.      "But, Tink," you're thinking, "do I NEED it?" My response to you is this... you can absolutely go without it, but you're going to need to plan very carefully. Do some research in advance on which parks are slowest on which days, and what the projected park attendance is like during your stay. There are several websites that offer this feature. I personally like this one from Undercover Tourist. Of course, this isn't anything that is guaranteed to be accurate, but it can help you in deciding where to go on which days. You may also want to look at DisneyWorld.com so you can also take into consideration things like park hours, special events and if you're staying on property, Extra Magic Hours. Then, once you have decided on where to go on each day, take advantage of the tools that Disney gives you. Book your FastPass+ reservations as early as you can. (60 days out for Disney Resort Guests and 30 days out for regular ticket or Annual Pass Holders.) And when you book your FastPasses, look at a park map and make sure that you aren't crisscrossing all over the park and wasting a bunch of time. Make sure your dining reservations are booked for the park you'll be in on that day. If you know that you aren't going to be able to handle doing open to close in the park, plan to be there for open, leave for a break mid-afternoon, when it is hottest and the most crowded, and then return in the evening, and stay as late as you can. That way you'll maximize the opportunities you have to wait in the shortest lines, and you won't miss out on the awesome nighttime entertainment.      No matter how planned out you are, though, don't rush past things like live entertainment and character appearances. Almost all of my very best Disney memories are spur-of-the-moment things that happened when we stopped to catch our breath. Park Hopper or not, you're in a place where magical things truly happen all the time, where ever you are. So enjoy!    Got a question? E-mail me at tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com, or leave it in the comments. Thanks!

Ask Tink: What time of year should I visit?

"When, in your opinion, is the best time to visit Disney - as an adult. I want to be able to take in as much as I can in a short time. I would also like your opinion if I brought my grandchildren. What is the best time of the year for them to see as much as they can, Christmas? Halloween?"

 

Thank you to the Tinker that submitted the above question! This is probably the most commonly asked question when it comes to Disney travel planning. After all, it is step number one when you're planning your trip!        If you have absolutely no restrictions as to when you are able to travel, regardless of whether you are an all adult travel party, or you have kids with you, I would absolutely recommend September. It is the least busy month of the year for Orlando, and therefore, prices are at their lowest, lines are at their shortest, and the weather is finally starting to get a break from the extreme heat of the summer.      The Boo-To-You Halloween Parade      Why is it the slowest time of year? Well, a combination of a few of things. Probably what has the most powerful effect is the fact that the school year has just started for most states in the US, and parents are less likely to take their kids out right at the beginning of the year. It is also "off season" and that means that theme park hours are shortened, and some parks even close before dark, eliminating nightly fireworks shows. Also, in off season, more attractions are closed for rehab, (so you'll want to check the official list of closures on the Disney Website.), and seasonal dining locations may be closed. Your resort could also have a pool or other amenity closed for a fix-me-up. There's also the element of the elements, AKA, Hurricane Season. Tourists tend to be a bit nervous about the potential of their trip being disrupted by gale force winds, slashing rain and power outages. The truth is, though, hurricanes rarely effect the Orlando area, due to it's Central Florida location. That's not to say we don't get the rain or the blustery conditions, but Disney has only ever closed the parks one time, in 44 years, due to weather. (And it was for Hurricane Floyd... "The Hurricane That Never Was". It pretty much entirely missed Central Florida and caused no damage at all.) It's possible you may have some rain to contend with, but it's a tropical climate. Rain is likely to occur at pretty much any point in time. Don't let the hurricanes scare you away. Especially because the benefits of September FAR outweigh the negatives.        If you are able to visit the second or third week in September, don't be surprised if you find most attractions with wait times that are less than 20 minutes. You will likely have an easier time getting a spot for the parade, getting a table at a quick serve location, and getting a lounge chair by the pool. The other really nice benefit? Disney starts celebrating Halloween as of mid-September. 2015's first Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party will be on September 15th. That means you get to start getting spooky a whole 45 days before Halloween arrives! The Halloween Party is a blast and a great excuse to dress up and have fun, even if it's just you and your spouse traveling. The hubs and I have probably been to the party 10 times without kids! Mickey's Not So Scary isn't the only exciting thing happening in September though. Get your appetite ready, because late September, (September 25th this year), kicks off Epcot's Food and Wine Festival. This is a huge, park-wide event that features demonstrations, special dining events, tasting booths and more. Adults tend to enjoy this one a little more than the kids do, but there's plenty for the kids to do too, including a scavenger hunt around the park.        If September is not ideal for you, the other slower seasons include early November, (the benefit of Food and Wine Festival and cooler weather), early December, (holiday decorations and events without the crowds), and the 2nd week in January thru early February, (nice break from the snows of the North, and light crowds).        Rather than tell you all of the "moderate" times of year, I'll tell you the "worst", or busiest times. Summer means huge crowds, long wait times, lots of international tour groups, and hot, hot, hot, humid weather. You can also count on almost daily afternoon thunderstorms, accompanied by a deluge of rain. And it's hot as Hades. (Did I mention the heat?) If you MUST visit in the summer, try to avoid the week of the 4th of July, which is one of the two busiest weeks of the whole year. The other busiest week is the week between Christmas and New Years. Yes, it's super fun to celebrate the holidays at Disney, but tons of people agree, and it gets uncomfortably crowded at times. Avoid the last two weeks in December and the first week in January. Spring break season, (Mid-March thru mid-April), also gets a sea of Guests, as does President's Weekend in February and Thanksgiving Weekend in November.        Every time of year not mentioned above would be considered "moderate". This includes most of the spring, (when Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival is happening), and the fall.   Flower and Garden Festival blooms in Spring        Two other last things I will leave you with. #1. Disney is amazing at marketing, and they find ways to draw crowds in at EVERY time of year. For example, October used to be one of the slowest months, but between Halloween Festivities and Food and Wine, they have managed to make it one of the busiest. The days of empty parks, multiple times a year, are coming to an end. The "Free Dining" packages in the fall are starting to fill up September. Various other special events will fill in other slower times of year. The best thing you can do, is be prepared for a crowd, and be psyched if there isn't one. #2. ANY time you can get to Disney is special. There's always going to be positives and negatives. When it's crowded, there are more special events and later park hours. When it's slow, you can take it easier, but you have less hours to enjoy it all. The most important thing is to plan out your trip as best as you can. Use Fastpass+. Make dining reservations. Enlist the help of someone who knows their way around the parks to help you decide which parks to go to on which days, which passes to buy, which resort to stay at, and where to eat. (Oooo, oooo.... pick me! Or your local travel agent. Or a friend you know who used to be a Cast Member. Or your favorite blog. Ahem. Or a combination of all resources.) Just remember that some things are a matter of opinion and you need someone who is keeping YOUR FAMILY'S wants and needs in mind, not just how they like to do the parks.        Hope that helped! Keep the great questions coming!

Help Tink Out!

Good morning, Tinkers!

     I really want to start a new section of the blog, where I answer questions that you may have about trip planning, park dining, FastPass+, or whatever you may need help with. In order to do this, I need questions from you!

     If you come up with any Disney related questions, please either add them as a comment on the blog or on the Facebook page, OR email them to tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com!

     Thanks, everyone! I very much appreciate your support and am working hard to add some pixie dust to this site and get it to be a Disney fan favorite!