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Frequently Asked Questions About Walt Disney WorldOn this page you'll find answers to dozens of frequently asked questions about Walt Disney World, including information about vacation planning, tickets, hotels and more! Jump to:
General PlanningJump to: Help! Where do I start?If you have never been on a Walt Disney World vacation (or it has been a long time), it's understandable why you might feel overwhelmed by all of the information on this site. The best place to start is with the step-by-step planning guide. When are the best (and worst) times of year to go to Walt Disney World?Nothing affects the value of your vacation as much as WHEN you choose to go! Trust me, this is the most important decision you'll make in planning your vacation. During certain peak times, the parks will be terribly crowded and the hotel rates will be sky-high. Restaurants will be booked up months in advance AND (little known fact) Disney raises meal prices at many of its restaurants during busy times of year! You'll be able to do about half as much as you expect, and it will cost you -- both in money and in precious time. By contrast, if you go at an off-peak time, the parks will be uncrowded and the room rates will be lower. You'll be amazed at how much more you can do in a day, when you are not fighting huge crowds.
How can I make our Disney World vacation extra special?While every Disney World vacation should be a blast, if you're celebrating a special occasion, want to inject a little romance, or just plain want to do something extra, I do have some ideas for you.
I saw a web site or an "e-book" that says it can save me a ton of money on my vacation -- if I pay for it.There are several web sites out there that claim they'll share the secret of saving big money on Disney vacations. The thing is, they want you to pay a monthly or annual fee for the information. I have investigated many of these sites, and at the risk of tooting my own horn, I can honestly say you'll get more and better information right here on MouseSavers.com -- for FREE. Likewise, there are many "e-books" being sold on eBay, claiming to share exclusive secrets about how to save money on your Disney vacation. Many of these "e-books" are selling copyrighted material from MouseSavers.com and other useful (and FREE) web sites like Deb Wills' allearsnet.com. Some of the "e-books" on eBay are literally nothing more than a list of links to various web sites. Quite a few of the "e-books" I've checked out contained wildly outdated, erroneous or just plain wrong information. I've even seen some that advocated fraud, such as acquiring a Florida ID (which is a felony if you aren't a resident) in order to buy discounted tickets! In short, don't waste your money. I have a disability or health issue and may need special accommodations. How can I get more information?Here are some great resources for anyone with a disability or special need who plans to visit one of the Disney theme parks:
Does Disney ever offer special Disney World discounts for Canadians?Not recently. When the exchange rate was less favorable for Canadians, Disney occasionally offered "at par" specials on hotel rooms and tickets. They were not usually available year-round. The following links will take you to specific discounts, when available:
Does Disney ever offer special Disney World discounts for visitors from the UK and Ireland?Yes. Disney sometimes offers specials for visitors from the UK and Ireland on vacation packages and tickets for Walt Disney World. They are not usually available year-round. To see more information for visitors from the UK and Ireland, click here. General Questions about AccommodationsJump to: Where should I stay?That's a complicated question that depends on your preferences as far as cost, location, convenience and more. I really can't make that decision for you, but here is some information that may help:
What's the difference between the Disney resorts, the Swan & Dolphin, the Downtown Disney hotels, and other hotels?In addition to the obvious differences in terms of theming, proximity to the theme parks, etc., each of these hotel types has a different level of special privileges. Privileges available when staying at one of the Disney resorts, which include Value resorts, Moderate resorts, Deluxe resorts, Deluxe Villas (aka Disney Vacation Club) and Ft. Wilderness cabins & campsites:
Privileges available when staying at the Swan and Dolphin hotels:
Privileges available when staying at the Downtown Disney hotels:
Privileges available when staying off the Disney property (all other Walt Disney World-area hotels):
What is a "Good Neighbor" hotel?It's a hotel that has paid Disney a marketing fee in order to display that designation. A "Good Neighbor" hotel usually has a ticket shop in the lobby that sells full price Disney tickets. Other than that, the "Good Neighbor" designation means nothing for the consumer. It does not guarantee quality. Some "Good Neighbor" hotels really aren't very nice, while others are excellent. Basically, I would advise you to ignore the "Good Neighbor" designation, as it doesn't guarantee you anything at all. I have more than four people in my party. How can I find reasonably-priced accommodations?For those who want or need more space than you'll find in the typical hotel room that accommodates a family of four, there are options in three categories: Disney's resorts, non-Disney hotels located on Disney property, and off-site hotels. By the way, if you will have a large group (8 or more), you may want to read my reunion tips and the information about Grand Gatherings. A family of 5 or larger can be surprisingly expensive to accommodate at a Walt Disney World resort, because Disney's hotels aren't geared toward large families! Ironic for a "family" destination, but true. The standard Value resort rooms sleep 4. Most standard Moderate rooms also sleep 4; the only exception is the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside, where you can get rooms with a trundle bed that will sleep a 5th (small) person. Some, but not all, standard rooms at Disney's Deluxe resorts sleep 5; at the Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge, you'll have to pay an upgrade to get a room that sleeps 5. Most of the new 1-bedroom units being built at Animal Kingdom Villas will sleep 5, but the room rates are very high (you do get a full kitchen with these, however). One thing to bear in mind: Disney doesn't count a child under 3 who sleeps in a crib in its room occupancy limits. You can add one baby to the room without additional charge. So if your family includes a baby, you can subtract one person from your count. I'm occasionally asked if Disney is "strict" about room limits. The answer is yes. Disney didn't invent the limits; they are dictated by the Fire Marshal, based on the square footage of the room and the number of beds. The limits are for your own safety and comfort. If you want to stay on Disney property with a family larger than 5, you will need either two rooms, a family suite at All-Star Music (sleeps 6), a cabin at the Ft. Wilderness Campground (sleeps 6) or a 2-bedroom villa at one of the Disney Vacation Club resorts (sleeps 8 or 9 and has a full kitchen, but this is very expensive). If you have a big family, want to stay at a Disney resort, but need to keep your costs down, I would recommend getting two connecting standard rooms at a Value resort. That will give you beds enough for up to 8 people (2 per bed). It is also the least expensive way to go (less expensive than a cabin or 2-bedroom villa), and has a major advantage because you will have two bathrooms. Another option for about the same cost is a family suite at All-Star Music, which sleeps 6 and includes a small kitchenette. Non-Disney Hotels on Disney Property There are a couple of nice options that are on Disney property (in the Downtown Disney area), but not operated by Disney:
Outside of Disney property, there are some excellent options:
Are vacation homes or "villas" a good bet when visiting Walt Disney World?There are dozens of companies and hundreds of individual homeowners out there on the Internet offering rental vacation homes (also called "villas") in the Orlando area. I get many questions about this option, which on the surface sounds like an appealing way for families (particularly larger families) to save some money on accommodation. This is a controversial subject and I have received a ton of e-mail from people who have rented vacation homes. Overall, I don't see much of a pattern: e-mails regarding vacation homes tend to run 50-50 pro and con. Some people are extremely enthusiastic about their experiences with vacation home rentals and have reported to me that they were very happy with this option. (Sadly, when I've followed up on some of the glowing letters I've received on the subject, I learned a few were sent by "shills" who own or manage such homes.) I've received about an equal number of letters from renters who have been extremely disappointed with the experience. I have decided not to feature rental vacation homes on MouseSavers.com. That's partly because of the mixed reports I've had from readers, but it's mainly because I have done considerable in-person research on vacation homes. Without identifying myself or revealing my connection with MouseSavers.com, I have viewed a lot of homes and had extensive conversations with property managers and individual owners. Some of the homes were much nicer than others. However, I came away from my research feeling uncomfortable with recommending any particular company or individual. A little background: There are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of vacation homes in the Orlando area. In fact, I think it's safe to say the market is flooded with such properties, which is why the rentals are often relatively cheap. A lot of the owners are residents of the UK, though some Americans also own rental homes. The homeowners typically vacation in Florida for one month per year and let a property management firm rent out the home for the rest of the year. A lot of the property management companies that service vacation home rentals are also real estate agencies that are in the business of selling vacation homes. The majority of vacation homes are located in Kissimmee, a town neighboring Orlando, where you will find rows and rows of tract homes that are mostly used as rentals. While there are significant exceptions, on the whole the Kissimmee homes tend to be cheaply furnished and a little tattered around the edges. Most of them are pretty ordinary and don't offer much in the way of luxury, other than (usually) a pool. There are some luxury homes in other areas of Orlando, which charge much higher rents. You may end up paying as much per night as you would for a luxury hotel. If you really want extra space, these may be worth looking into. Personally at that price level I'd prefer the services of a fine hotel, but others feel differently. Don't count on the "10 minute" drives to Walt Disney World that all of the vacation home rental companies seem to advertise. The drives are usually more like 20-30 minutes in normal traffic. (You might be able to get to Disney World in 10 minutes from some of the homes in the middle of the night, if you hit all the lights.) While I'm sure there are many honorable people who rent out their own homes, renting directly from the homeowners is something you must carefully research. Homeowners are usually not professional property managers and in some cases they are also not local residents. Unfortunately, if anything goes wrong, it can be difficult to get any problems fixed and/or money refunded, particularly if the owner lives out of the area. If you'd like to rent a vacation home, my advice is to proceed with extreme caution and get plenty of references. If you luck into an exceptional vacation home rental, I'm sure it can be a great value. I get many e-mails from vacation home owners and management companies who want me to promote their properties on MouseSavers.com. Sorry, but at this time I don't have the time or inclination to check out any more vacation homes. I wish you good luck with your rental business. Are there any pet-friendly hotels in Orlando?All three of the official hotels at Universal Orlando (Portofino Bay Resort, Hard Rock Hotel and Royal Pacific Resort) are pet-friendly. While they don't have a size limit on the pets, there is a pet fee and they my limit the number of pets per room and in the hotel overall. It's best to call in advance and make sure they know you are bringing your pet(s). Some designated campsites at Disney's Ft. Wilderness Campground allow pets. There is an extra charge of $5 per day. There is a kennel at Ft. Wilderness where you can keep your pet when you are in the theme parks. Other Orlando-area hotels that do allow some pets include Sheraton Safari TripAdvisor says one of your recommended hotels is terrible!This is actually not a frequent question, but occasionally I do hear from someone who is really worried about staying at one of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels because of something they read about the hotel on TripAdvisor. I know it's difficult to make a decision about a hotel, particularly when you are traveling from a distance and not familiar with the area. That's exactly why I developed the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels program. I only recommend about a dozen hotels in the Orlando area, out of hundreds. Click here for more information about how they are selected. I visit all of the MouseSavers Preferred Hotels regularly, on both announced and unannounced visits. On average I visit them twice a year, and I stay at them on a rotating basis. I also pay attention to the extensive feedback I receive from my readers about the hotels, which is overwhelmingly positive. I sincerely believe you can rely on my recommendations. The problem with TripAdvisor is that absolutely anyone can write a review, including the hotel's competitors, the hotel's own staff, people who are completely unreasonable, and those who have an axe to grind. Guests who were unhappy are much more likely to post reviews than those who had a good stay. On TripAdvisor I've seen multiple reviews that were obviously written by the same person about the same hotel stay (even though this isn't officially allowed). Naturally that totally messes up the hotel's rankings. I've seen more than one review that was a complete fraud: information in the review was so factually inaccurate that I doubted the reviewer had been within miles of the hotel. So while I do look at TripAdvisor sometimes, I take the reviews with several grains of salt. At minimum, I recommend ignoring the very low and very high reviews and looking at those in the middle, as well as the overall ranking. Questions About Disney Resort Accommodations, Vacation Packages & DiscountsJump to: When will new Disney resort discounts become available?I wish I knew! The resort and vacation package discounts are somewhat unpredictable. Only Disney knows when (or if) the next ones will come out. I have no crystal ball -- I can't predict what Disney may decide to do. However, you can get a general idea of the historical trends. To assist you in planning future trips for which discounts have not yet been released, check out my chart of release dates for the deepest discounts (including discount codes, Annual Passholder rates and Florida resident rates). In addition, here are some general observations about future discount availability: When offered, "room only" discounts for the general public, Annual Passholders and Florida residents are usually relatively last-minute. Don't expect to get a big discount way in advance -- typically the discounts are released 2-4 months in advance. Sometimes the discounts are restricted to certain resorts or room types. Vacation package discounts are sometimes released a little earlier, but seldom more than 6 months in advance. Naturally, Disney only offers discounts on its resorts when it has a significant number of rooms to fill. Therefore the most popular dates and resorts are typically not discounted. Some additional observations:
Discount codes must be thought of as a "clearance sale" -- if you want the discount, you have to be willing to take what's left over! It's important to be flexible with both dates and hotels, and to be persistent in calling back periodically to see if anything has opened up. When will next year's Disney resort room rates or vacation package prices be released?Hard to say. Only Disney knows for sure. However, you can get a general idea of the historical trends. To assist you in planning future trips for which rates have not yet been released, check out the list of past release dates for "rack" (full price) room rates and vacation packages. If you book a "room only" reservation for next year before the official rates are released, your deposit will be based on this year's Peak Season rates. When the correct rates are released, your reservation will be adjusted to reflect them. Is it possible to use more than one discount for the same Disney resort reservation?No. You may choose only one discount. If you are making a "room-only" reservation, you can use ONE discount, be that a discount code for the general public, AAA rate, Annual Passholder rate or Florida resident rate. You may not use the discounts in conjunction with one another. Most "room-only" discounts (i.e., AAA, Florida resident, general public discount codes) cannot be used with vacation packages. Sometimes there are special discounts on vacation packages, however. Also, Annual Passholders can now buy special vacation packages that include just the hotel room and dining plan, and the room portion is sometimes discounted. Thanks to Alex B for suggesting this topic. Should I reserve now, or wait until the Disney resort discounts come out?If you will be traveling during a busy period and/or you want a specific resort and/or a particular room type, you should book a "room only" reservation as soon as you know when you'll be traveling, so that you are sure you have a room at the time you want to travel. If you aren't super-picky about your resort or room type and you plan to travel in a non-peak season (January, first half of February, May, September, October, non-holiday periods in November and December), you can probably wait until 3-6 months in advance to make your plans. Disney allows "room only" resort bookings up to 499 days in advance, though exact pricing doesn't become available until about midway through the year prior (so 2010 rates probably won't be available until mid-2009). In the meantime, you'll be charged a deposit based on the highest room rate for the current year. Just contact a travel agent or call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY (934-7639) and make a "room only" reservation. If you belong to the Auto Club, you might as well see if you can get the AAA discount on your "room only" reservation now, in case nothing better comes along. AAA rates come out about mid-year for the following year, so 2010 rates probably won't be available until mid-2009. "Room only" reservations can usually be changed later to reflect any discount codes or Annual Passholder discounts, if they become available. However, only a certain number of discounted rooms are released for each code or discount. If those are all taken when you call, you will not be able to switch to the discounted rate, even though you already have a reservation. If a discounted package is released later and you are interested in changing from "room only" to a package, you may have to book the package and then cancel the "room only" reservation. Don't book a full-price package now if you are planning to look for discounts later. All packages have restrictive rules about cancellations and changes. Also, some of the package elements (especially airfare and insurance) are usually nonrefundable. If I already have a Disney resort reservation, can I add a new discount?Maybe. If you have made a full-price "room only" reservation and it is more than 5 days before you're supposed to check in, you should be able to change the reservation to reflect any available discount. However, only a certain number of discounted rooms are released for each code or discount. If those are all taken when you call, you will not be able to switch to the discounted rate, even though you already have a reservation. If you have made a full-price vacation package reservation, it still may be possible to take advantage of a new discount, but it's much trickier:
If you booked through a travel agent, the agent must make any changes to your existing reservations. The same general rules given above will usually apply. Can I get the Dining Plan with a "room-only" Disney resort reservation?No, with two exceptions:
If you don't qualify for either of those exceptions, you have already purchased tickets and you want the Dining Plan, here's a trick to consider: you can buy a Magic Your Way vacation package of any length and include only a 1-Day Base Ticket per person in your package. (In other words, you do not have to purchase a ticket that matches your length of stay.) As long as you don't use the 1-Day Base Tickets, they will not expire and can be applied later toward the purchase of a more expensive ticket. What's the deal with "Free Dining"?For the past several years, during a select period of the year, Disney has offered a free dining plan when you purchase a full-price vacation package that includes hotel room and tickets. In 2005-2007, the "free dining" offer was ONLY offered for travel in late August and the month of September. In 2008, "free dining" was offered during that same August-September time period as before, and then an additional offer came out for selected dates between September 28 and December 20, exclusively for Disney Rewards® Visa® cardholders. Disney has offered this plan in late summer as an incentive to get people to visit Disney World at a time when Southern schools are back in session, which causes the theme parks and hotels to empty out. Additionally, that period is peak hurricane season and extremely hot and humid. In 2008, the dates were extended into the fall because of the faltering US economy, in order to fill empty rooms. To see when "Free Dining" has been available in past years, check out my chart of release dates. There is never any guarantee that Disney will continue to offer any particular discount, but this one has been extremely popular, so it will probably continue in the future, as long as Disney has a lot of rooms to fill. The Disney resort discount code you list isn't working for me!All of the resort discount codes on MouseSavers.com have been checked out carefully and come from legitimate published sources such as Disney newspaper advertisements, faxes sent to travel agents by Disney, Disney web sites, etc. While I’m not infallible, I can tell you that when someone writes to tell me a code didn't work, it almost always turns out to be one of three things:
If you talk with three different Disney agents and they all agree that the information about a particular code or discount on MouseSavers.com is wrong, please email me so I can make a correction. Ticket QuestionsJump to: How can I find out if old tickets are still valid or still have days left on them?For years the answer was that you would have to go to Walt Disney World and take the tickets to Guest Services to get this information. However, as of April 2008, there have been some reports that the ticket department at Disney is sometimes willing to look up the information over the phone. You can try calling (407) 566-4985 (Monday through Saturday only) and selecting Option 2. They may choose to look up the information for you. This is not guaranteed, and I predict they'll shut this service down if too many people barrage them. If they agree to look up your ticket, you'll need to read off the numbers and letters from the back of the ticket. If you aren't successful in getting the information by phone, there is no way to find out in advance how many (if any) days are left on your old tickets. You will have to go to Walt Disney World and take the tickets to Guest Services. It's best to do this at the theme parks -- the concierge desks at the resorts apparently operate on a different system and may not show any remaining "plus" features on the tickets. Magic Your Way tickets (issued January 2, 2005 and later) are only good for 14 days after their first use unless you purchased the "No Expiration" option for the tickets. Unused theme park admissions and "plus" features on the old Park Hopper tickets issued prior to January 2, 2005 never expire. Can I share a ticket with another person?No. Disney World tickets are nontransferable. Only one person can use each ticket. Disney uses a biometric finger scan system (which takes a partial fingerprint) that prevents you from selling or sharing a ticket. Can I use my ticket for two theme park admissions in one day?Only if you purchase the Park Hopper option. Because of the price structure of Magic Your Way tickets, which cost only a little more for extra days, in many cases it would seem to be cheaper if you could just add extra days to a ticket and use up two admissions on one day, instead of paying for the Park Hopper option. (For instance, buy a 6-day ticket and use two admissions per day for 3 days.) But Disney won't let you do it. The entrance gates are programmed to prevent you from using a Magic Your Way ticket without the Park Hopper option at more than one park on the same day. The gate attendant will stop you and instruct you to go to the ticket booths and buy the Park Hopper option if you want to get into the second park. You can enter the same park multiple times on the same day with any ticket, however. When will ticket prices go up?Only Disney can say for sure, but typically the prices of Magic Your Way tickets and Annual Passes tend to go up at least once a year, typically the first Sunday of August. For the past several years I've been able to find out the dates of the ticket price increases at least a few days in advance, and I've announced those increases through a MouseSavers.com Hot Deals e-mail so that my readers could buy their tickets before the prices went up. If you would like to receive those notifications and you are not currently a subscriber to the FREE MouseSavers Newsletter, sign up here and be sure to select the option "I would also like to receive occasional MouseSavers last-minute 'hot deals' by e-mail." If you are already a newsletter subscriber and want to receive the Hot Deals announcements, click here for help. You say Undercover Tourist offers lower prices than Disney, but Disney's prices seem lower.It can seem that way at first glance. The reason is, the prices displayed on the Disney website do not include tax of 6.5%, which must be paid regardless of where you live. The tax is added later in the ordering process. Undercover Tourist prices already include taxes and shipping. Once you add the tax, you will always find that multi-day Disney World tickets are cheaper through Undercover Tourist. The "secret" newsletter prices for Undercover Tourist seem to be the same as their regular prices.No, there really are lower prices from Undercover Tourist if you go through the "secret" newsletter link. The reason you're seeing the same prices is that a "cookie" is set on your computer when you visit through the newsletter link. If you go directly to the Undercover Tourist site afterward, the cookie causes your screen to display the MouseSavers Newsletter rates. However, if you delete cookies and/or close down your browser, reboot your computer and return to the Undercover Tourist site without clicking through on the special link, you will see the regular "general public" prices, which are higher. When you're on Undercover Tourist's private page for MouseSavers Newsletter subscribers, you will see this at the top: "Welcome Mouse Savers enjoy your special prices." When the general public comes to the Undercover Tourist site, the message and the special prices are not visible. Are there special tickets for visitors from the UK and Ireland?Yes. Click here to see more information. Back to top MouseSavers.com® is not an official site of The Walt Disney Company or of Universal Studios. Content of MouseSavers.com is © MouseSavers, Inc. 2001-2009. Website content may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written permission of MouseSavers, Inc. Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions of Use |
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