(Info last updated: October 3, 2015)
Today, I have 5 secret Disney World tips that you might not know.
After hearing each one, you'll have to decide if they make sense for you.
I also have a quick tip of the day regarding what time of day you can make FastPass+ reservations.
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These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.
In this article
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5 secret tips
Many of these fall into a grey area where some people may decide that they are ethical and others will decide that they aren't. Disney allows all of these things so decide for yourself if they make sense for you.
1. Quick Service credits aren't divided between adults and kids
Although Table Service credits are split between kids and adults, Quick Service credits aren't. That means that you can order adult meals at Quick Service restaurants for your children.
2. Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom has its own entrance
There's a gift shop inside Rainforest Cafe that has its own entrance into Animal Kingdom. If the main gates seem busy, you can check out the Rainforest Cafe entrance to see if it's less crowded.
(Updated 2/3/2015: this is no longer available)
3. You can get a FastPass+ reservation at Be Our Guest even if you aren't invited
Disney has a FastPass+ to eat lunch at Be Our Guest but they will tell you that it's by invitation only. The fact is that it's available to anybody.
You can get the reservation by visiting https://beourguestlunch.disney.go.com/. You will need your 12-digit numeric confirmation number (not the alphanumeric confirmation number) which can be found in your My Disney Experience account before MagicBands ship, on Magical Express luggage tags and in some emails that Disney sends.
These open up about a month beforehand so reservations for March will open up in mid-February.
4. Off-site guests can make on-site reservations to take advantage of some perks
People staying off-site often want to take advantage of on-site benefits such as Extra Magic Hours or being able to make FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance. One way to do that is with a reservation for a campsite at Ft. Wilderness. The reservation works for up to 9 people.
People who stay at Ft. Wilderness are not a fan of these "phantom bookings" but other people will argue that when you pay for the spot, it's up to you how you use it.
5. Valet for $25/day at any Deluxe Resort (Updated 10/3/2015 - valet prices changed)
All Disney World Deluxe Resorts have valet parking available for $25/day. The non-valet parking has a limit of about 3 hours. This is especially convenient if you have a breakfast reservation at a resort and want to keep your car there as opposed to re-parking in another parking lot.
As long as you have your valet tag or receipt, you can valet anywhere on-site all day without paying any extra (though you should tip at each location).
Note: in the podcast, I said that on-site guests get free parking for up to 3 hours. I should have clarified that I meant when parking at other resorts. On-site guests using the general parking at the theme parks can park there all day.
Quick tip of the day
When making FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance, you can begin at midnight eastern time (Updated May 19, 2016: it's now 7 a.m. eastern time). This is different than dining reservations which begin at 6 a.m. eastern time 180 days in advance.
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Questions or other tips to share?
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76 Comments
Is tip #4 still valid and would it work if you only book 1-day at the campgrounds but have a 4-day ticket linked in My Disney Experience? We’re going the first week of May—not an overly crowded time to go. The only Fastpasses I’m concerned that we might not be able to get is Anna & Elsa.
Question: trip next week to WDW. Booked Disney’s Port Orleans Resort off of Hotels.com. Is this why my confirmation number can’t be found on the Disney app?
I went to WDW last fall but am finally going through and listening to all the podcasts! I LOVE them! I’m currently planning my DLR trip for this fall and my type A personality is struggling with how little there is to plan in comparison to WDW! Thanks for these podcasts, they’re giving me a fix and helping me look forward to planning WDW for 2016 (:
Secret tips are great. Lessons in dishonesty not so much. #1 is unquestionably dishonest and though not all that serious in the scheme of things teaches children a bad lesson. Even if a tiny fraction of visitors each year take advantage of this flaw in Disney’s system it could still easily account for the equivalent of an entire Disney employee salary or more. Why not grab a pin off the pin cart when nobody is looking while you’re at it.
As noted, it’s allowed by Disney so not to worry; Cinderella won’t be robbed of her paycheck. Thanks for the pin tip though! Free pins for everyone!
#1 is not a big deal at all. If it was a big deal, a big company like Disney would make changes to stop and prevent this. They allow it. Nooooo biggie.
Thanks for all the great info! We are 30 days out from our trip and the be our guest trick has not worked. I am wildly hoping that it is just because today is a Sunday and perhaps some spots will open tomorrow.
I’ll keep trying. My kids really want to dine at BOG.
Shannon- would love more posts on the Candlelight Processional, New Year’s in MK and the Epcot Flower Show…..
Sorry, I tried to post this as a reply to the article, and it looked like it ended up as a response to a thread, so I’m trying again.
Hello,
This post was really helpful, thank you!
I noticed that several people have posted questions about Tip # 1 (getting adult meals instead of kids’ meals with quick-service credits), and as far as I can tell, they have not been answered here. Maybe they have been answered more personally via email, but in either case I am still wondering how this works.
Shannon (or anyone who knows),
Have you verified that Tip#1 is still true?? The official website, clearly states (as you indicated that it would) that a kids’ meal must be ordered if available. However, I read on another wdwprepschool post that “These [quick-service] credits aren’t separated into child or adult categories so you can theoretically get adult meals for your child.” I would really like to take advantage of this tip for my 8-year-old, but I am worried that, since all the meals are combined and can be used by anyone in the group, that I might use up all the adult credits at the beginning and then at the end of the trip be surprised that only kids’meals are left on the account.
Thanks for all your research and work on this. So many people must be able to have a much smoother, less-stressful and more efficient trip because of your posts.
My ten year old ordered adult meals without any trouble. She is a head taller than most kids her age though and that makes her look more like 13.