Anyone got a Disney World/Florida holiday planned? Part 3

[McKayz]

I thought I'd start a new thread as number 2 is nearly full.

Links to old threads:

thread 1

thread 2

We haven't got ours booked yet. But we are planning on going August 2016. DH and I both turn 30 in the next 11 months so it's like a big birthday holiday.

I don't know anything about CBR, I'm afraid, but if you ask on The Dibb they will know - they know everything :)

I've been having a nosey over there but haven't joined yet. Still plenty of time! Just need to get DH excited now!

Join The Dibb! It is fab, but you get sucked in...

The Dibb is amazing! I keep looking at the pictures of the food.

McKayz That way madness lies.

There are food pictures on The Dibb?! Don't tell me that, I spend way too much time on there already!!

In fact I just read something exciting on there - they are testing a Flynn Rider character out! Although I'm a grown-up of course, and I totally do NOT have a crush on Flynn Rider, that would just be weird. Ahem.

There's a really long thread filled with food pictures. Probably why my diet isn't working!

Oh my the food!! I may have to be dragged away kicking and screaming! The food will be what drags DH in!

Urgent help re Disney tickets & fastpasses

I've got our tickets, today is the 30 day point and I want to book fast passes.

Just using app, I've selected fast pass.comes up with the names I've logged in previously.now need to scan the tickets for each...

But this won't start the 14 day it will it?! It knows it's just fast pass bookings doesn't it?!!! I'm worried.

I'm pretty positive it won't start the 14 days, especially as you're booking future FP with those tickets.

I'm on an aeroplane!! Weeeee, on our way back from NY to FL for the last few days of holiday. Thunderstorms have died down a lot in the last few days.

No the tickets activate once they get scanned at the gate.

Ah how was NY? enjoy your last few day's strawberry.

I'm exhausted, had about 7 hours sleep in the last two days, so happy to be almost back in FL but don't want to come home

Yes, as Dog says, it definitely won't start your tickets now, don't worry! I really think it should make this clear on the app - its ok for those of us who know but it's worrying for people who don't!

Oooh, excitement - park hours have been released for next February

Now I can start properly shaping our plans. Even better, Magic Kingdom is a recommended park for dd2's birthday, so that fits in with her plans (had nightmares it would be a least recommended, but we'd have to go anyway, but thankfully not!)

Strawberry - am very of you being over there atm. It is still so long until we go

Still, we booked a last minute summer holiday a couple of days ago, so need to get planning for that now!

All sorted, I rang Disney and they talked me through the logging the cards process via the website rather than scanning on the App. Last year we picked our tickets up at the park so didn't have the opportunity to forward plan.

Panda, how did you find a recommendation for which park to visit. There's so much on the website that I'm struggling to find stuff.

I've noted down which parks have Extra Magic Hours on each day and we will avoid that park on that day (hope that makes sense).
Will add in which parks have their fireworks / parades etc and hopefully come up with exactly what we need.

Intend to do non Disney parks at the weekends as that's when its busiest (I really noticed that last Easter).

Also, does anyone know if they check the name on your card when you go through a fast pass line?
DH is adamant that they said "hello Mr Shifty" last year, I'm reasonably sure they didn't.
Reason I ask is that we can book a Coaster for all of us but only 3 want to ride it, so they can go in using their tickets and then come out and use the other family members cards to go in again on the fast pass. I hope that makes sense!
Can it be done? So DH uses his for 1 ride and then our son's or my Dad's for a second go?!

I use a combination of Touring plans and the Dibb busy day guide. Both will give ratings/make recommendations as to which park to visit. This is not foolproof, as often it is based in external data such as which parks have EMH, which can change at any point, but it gives a good starting point to structure a plan around.

For FP, don't worry. We did exactly that last time we went - had me, dh, dd1 (then 8ish, doesn't like fast rides) dd2 (then 6ish, loves fast rides) and ds (then 15 months ish so no ticket, excluded from many rides). I booked us all on FP (except ds) and often I would go with dd2, while dh waited with dd1 and ds, then we would swap and dh would go,with dd2 (dd2 using dd1's Magic band). No problem at all. Occasionally, dd2 wouldn't want a second go, so either dh or I would go instead. No problem at all. This was a couple of years ago, so may have tightened up since, but I don't think so.

No that's fine for FP, that's what we did last month.

Lucas hmm! yes I do know what you mean!

I seem to be spending an increasingly unhealthy amount of time on the Dibb, but there's so much help and information, it's a planner's dream website

So, I've now done 2 days worth of Fastpasses and am feeling very worthy.

Tomorrow morning it's Hollywood Studios!

Think I'm going to book Memory Maker.........

Definitely book Memory Maker, it is so worth the money! I have some amazing photos from it.

That's good to know dog

After all this planning I'm going to want some great photos!

Memory maker is definitely worth it. I have loads of brilliant Photopass (as it used to be known) photos from previous trips.

I use The Dibb for recommended park days. Their Vacation Planner is brilliant as you can hover your mouse over each day to see whats recommended, rather than going backwards & forwards between a 'recommended days' website and wherever you're typing your plan.

As for using FPs in other people's names - yes, it's fine as everyone else has said BUT I'd suggest using a family member of the same gender if possible. The CM's screen does show the FP person's name so technically, they can look at the screen and stop you if they suspect you're not the right person but in practice I've never known that to happen. We just make sure that DH uses DS's FP and I use DD's, so that at last we look the right gender :)

I've booked Memory Maker for the first time and am really excited to see it! We used to get Photopass photos for free but (a) it's VERY long-winded and (b) you can only get on-ride photos and videos with Memory Maker.

With the MM it's the captured moments of the DC's faces walking up to the characters that I love.

My absolute favourite is when we were standing waiting to see SnowWhite (dd was dressed as SW too) and my 1yr old was busy swinging on the railings.....SnowWhite walked over and bent down to talk to her and hold her hands to take us to where she meets and greets, the guy photographing got some pretty impressive shots of the surprise on my dd's face when she realised SnowWhite was beside her.