May 22, 2025 • 27 mins
Welcome back to the Beginners Guide To Planning Your Walt Disney World Vacation. In Part 4 of our series, we’re tackling some essential tips to make your Disney trip magical—no matter the weather! Here’s what we’re covering in this episode:
What to Do When It Rains at Disney
Don’t let a little rain ruin the fun! We’ll share the best indoor attractions, where to find ponchos, and why a rainy day can actually be a great time to visit.
Disney Pin Trading 101
Ever wondered why people are swapping pins all over the parks? We’ll explain how Disney Pin Trading works, where to find the best trades, and how to start your own collection.
Best Places to Sit for Parades & Fireworks
Want a front-row view of the magic? We’ll reveal the best (and worst) spots to watch parades and fireworks, plus some secret viewing locations most guests overlook!
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or just looking to level up your Disney experience, this episode is packed with tips to make your trip stress-free and magical.
Love this episode? Subscribe to our podcast and leave a review (please)! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @thegenxcouple for more. Don’t forget to share this episode with friends or family who might also like it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hi, I'm Robin and I'm Chris together. We're the Gen X couple
(00:22):
Hey guys take one hello everyone
We made it we are finally at the fourth and final part of our beginner's guide to planning your Walt Disney World vacation in
Part one we talked about booking your Walt Disney World vacation the different categories of the Disney resorts Disney Park ticket options
And the modes of transportation around the Disney property in part two
(00:45):
we discussed rope dropping extra magic hours park tickets and the
Lightning Lane multi-pass versus the Lightning Lane single pass
Last week in part three we broke down the Disney dining plan told you where you can find your favorite characters and let everyone know that
Yes, you can bring your own food into the parks. We broke down all the do's and don'ts of that
(01:06):
And if you haven't listened to the first three parts of the series we would recommend listening to those before you listen today
Today we have a bunch of tips and tricks to of the trade to share with you
We've been to Disney World many times and have learned a thing or two over the years
I'm not entirely sure where to start, but I'm gonna go with this one and this is for all my new Englanders out there
(01:28):
There are no Dunkin Donuts anywhere on the Disney property. They have Starbucks down there so you can still get coffee
It's just not what we're used to
great starting point
One thing that I want to talk about is what happens if you're staying on Disney property and you need medical attention
Good one
So every Disney park has a first-aid station staffed by registered nurses
(01:53):
Who provide basic medical medical assistance for gifts?
Guess yeah, each part has at least one centrally located first-aid station
And I actually found out about this what last year yes because we needed to stop by and visit but
Maybe I'll tell you about that later. So at the Magic Kingdom you can find the first-aid
(02:14):
Station between the Crystal Palace and Casey's Corner, so it's near Main Street, USA
And up caught it's near the Odyssey building between the test track and the Mexico
Pavilion and there's bathrooms in there as well
Hollywood students there's first-aid near guest relations up at the front of the park at the animal kingdom. It's behind creature comforts
(02:36):
There's a Starbucks there and it's near Discovery Island and at Blizzard Beach in Typhoon Lagoon
It's at the main entrance. So you're probably wondering what services they offer. Well, here's a breakdown
They'll give you over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acids and bandages
They'll do treatment for minor cuts scrapes or dehydration
(03:00):
They'll they provide storage for refrigerated medications and they help with medical needs like insulin or allergy
Assistance and if you need a place to rest if you're feeling unwell you want to get it out of the heat
They also can provide that. Yeah, if you or a family member ever feel unwell at Disney first-aid is your go-to
(03:22):
Spot for care. Just ask any cast member for directions
And here are some other medical resources that you may need if you need prescriptions
Avon Health provides delivery to Disney resorts
Disney has paramedics on site and they can assist in medical emergencies
Yeah, if it's something a little more serious and you need to go to urgent care
(03:43):
Go see someone at the front desk of the hotel and they will arrange
Transportation for you to the closest urgent care and I know this from experience
Yes, we've had to go to urgent care twice over the years with the most recent being last December. That's correct
Last December I needed to go to urgent care and we stopped into a resort that was closest to where we were
(04:04):
So we weren't even staying at this resort and they still called the cab for us to get to the urgent care center
Which was about 15 minutes away and then the urgent care center called for a cab for us to get back when we were done
Both were complimentary and I'm actually pretty sure they were both covered by the urgent care center
So basically what we're saying is if you get sick while you're there you have some options and options are always good
(04:27):
This next tip is going to serve you well, especially if you go to Florida during the rainy season
The rainy season in Orlando is May to October, but it peaks July through September
We usually go for a week in August. So we're not
Unfamiliar with rainy days of Walt Disney World. Yeah, not always and I always say that a rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at home
(04:49):
She's right. So if you're gonna go to Walt Disney World during the summer or early fall
We highly recommend bringing some disposable ponchos or rain gear with you
They do sell ponchos in the parks if you need them
But we usually stock up on the disposal ones from the Dollar Tree and just throw them in a backpack
Yeah, actually last summer when we were there there was a tropical storm and it was down
(05:13):
Pouring one of the nights. I mean torrential
We had rubber shoe covers that I bought off Amazon, but they ripped way easier than I thought they would so they were basically useless
So don't waste your money on those that was a rough day. Oh my god
Yeah, it was our shoes were soaked and we ended up wasting so much time having to put them in the dryer
The way the storm fell was that it started on a Sunday afternoon and it continued till Monday afternoon
(05:34):
So we had a dryer shoes both Sunday night and Monday night
Thankfully you can find washers and dryers at all of Disney resorts if you need them and we needed those dryers
We did but we learned a valuable lesson and I will be
Blah and I will be going with my duck shoes and waterproof socks from now on
I already ordered waterproof socks for all of us and I'll be getting the boys waterproof shoes before we go in August
(05:59):
You're probably wondering what happens at the park when it rains. Do they stay open and the answer is yes
Yeah, the indoor attractions like Space Mountain
hunted mansion and Pirates of the
Caribbean they continue operating as usual
Outdoor rides like the test track or slinky dog dash may temporarily close for safety
(06:20):
And they will definitely close if there's a thunder and lightning in the area
Some characters relocate to cover areas also. So check your my Disney experience. Yeah for updates
Yeah, Florida rain showers are usually brief unless there happens to be a tropical storm while you're there like that happened to us
So don't let the rain ruin your day. Just embrace the adventure. Yeah, like Robin said
(06:43):
We we are usually there in August and all those indoor rides are a great way to escape the heat
Disney cranks the AC so you can cool off quick quickly when you head indoors
Yeah, or you can just step inside any gift shop and I guarantee the air conditioning will be turned off
Yes, Robin does love those gifts. I do
While Disney World gift shops are more than just souvenir stands their themed shopping experiences filled with exclusive merch
(07:11):
Collectibles and even essentials you might need during your visit
A few of the cool perks you can get by shopping at the parks are mobile checkout
So you can skip the lines by using you guessed it my Disney experience app to scan and pay
if you're staying at a
Walt Disney World resort you can have your purchases sent directly to your hotel and if you buy stuff
(07:32):
And you don't want to carry your bags around all day. You can use same-day pickup at the park entrance
Yeah, Robin mentioned getting essentials at the gift shop
You can usually find things like sunblock pain relievers diapers
allergy medication
sanitizer
Sunglasses and like we mentioned earlier ponchos. They're also available at your hotel
(07:54):
Yeah, you can get all that stuff at your hotel
And if you ever need something just ask a cast member they can point you into the nearest shop that has it all
They're the best and speaking of cast members when you get to the parks who will probably notice some Disney photographers
They have a couple of different options for capturing magical photos for your family
so first up is the Disney Photo Pass and
(08:15):
This is a professional photography service at Disney World that helps guests capture their magical moments
You'll find those Disney photographers stationed at iconic park locations
You know like Cinderella Castle the Tree of Life at the animal kingdom
They'll find them at character meet and greets and then you find that like some selected attractions to find high
(08:39):
You'll find them at some select attractions to take high quality photos that you can view and purchase later
Like they're always at the haunted mansion. They'll get a cool picture with like a ghost horse and stuff. It's pretty cool
Yeah, look out for the
Photographers around the parks usually they're in front of Cinderella Castle like a tree of life and other scenic spots a
(08:59):
Disney photographer will snap your pictures and scan them to your magic band park ticket or the mind Disney experience app
And then your photos will appear in the my Disney experience app where you can preview them before you buy digital
downloads or prints. Yeah, and there's also
Disney memory maker. So what is the photo pass versus the memory maker?
(09:21):
The photo pass is the service that takes and stores your photos you pay per photo unless you purchase the memory maker
The memory maker is a prepaid package that gives you unlimited digital downloads of all your photo pet
Photo pass pictures for a flat fee. The photographers will also take photos with your phone
Or you could do what we do and just randomly across
(09:42):
Rain of people in the parks or the people right behind us. Yeah, that's true
Everyone wants pictures in the park
So if you offer to take someone's photo in exchange for them taking yours it usually works out pretty well
All right, but now you're probably thinking about your phone battery. If you have portable chargers at home bring them
But Walt Disney World also has a partnership with fuel rods that we're going to tell you about we take advantage of this one
(10:08):
We are there. Yeah, the fuel rod program at Walt Disney World is a portable phone charging service that helps you keep your
Devices powered up during your park stay
It's perfect if you're someone like me that's always taking pictures plus being on the my Disney experience app all day
We'll definitely wear down your phone battery. So here's how it works
(10:28):
You purchase a fuel rod kit by a starter kit from a self-service kiosk
Located throughout the park resorts in Disney Springs
The tip the kit typically costs around $30 and includes one portable charger
Charging cables for Apple and Android devices in a little plastic carrying case
(10:49):
You will swap the fully charged battery when your full rod runs out of juice
Visit any fuel rod kiosk to swap an empty one for fully charged one and no extra charge
And you can also recharge the fuel rod on your own using the included cables if you want to keep it longer
Yeah, they have fuel rod kiosks at all four of the parks all of the resorts the water parks and Disney Springs
(11:15):
All of the locations are listed in you guessed it that my Disney experience app under guest services
We got our original fuel rods on Amazon and they were a few dollars cheaper. Is it worth it for us?
The answer is yes. Yeah unlimited swaps with no extra fees really helps us out
One of the downsides is they don't have a lot of juice, but since you can swap as many times as you need to your battery will never run out
(11:42):
Yeah, you will definitely have to decide what works best for you and your family
And you can also bring your own charging cable and adapter and you can plug in your phone and any of the designated spots around the parks
We plug in a lot because we always bring our charging cables with us at the Magic Kingdom
You can charge over by the tangled bathrooms. You can charge at cosmic rays starlight cafes
(12:08):
because some of the tables have outlets and inside some of the shops on Main Street USA
You can charge your phones. You just have to ask a cast member at
Upclot you can charge near the exit of spaceship Earth and at the land pavilion in the sunshine seasons
Seating area where they also have these phenomenal peanut butter and chocolate whoopie pies highly recommend
(12:28):
That's downstairs outside of the soaring ride and Hollywood studios
You can charge your phones in galaxies edge over inside the droid depot
But there's limited availability there or you can sit near the seating area outside of docking base 7 at the animal kingdom
You can plug in in Pandora near Satuiland
(12:51):
Canteen or Discovery Island near the flametree barbecue and
At Disney Springs, there's plenty of outlets inside and at the Coca-Cola rooftop bar
The next thing we want to talk about are the military discounts at Walt Disney World
So you're probably wondering how we can afford to go so often and that's due to large part of the military
(13:14):
Discount that we're eligible for so here's a breakdown
You can get discounted Disney military tickets
Eligible US military members can purchase military salute tickets, which are significantly discounted compared to standard park tickets
Options include a four day five day or sick day tickets
(13:35):
Yeah, actually on the form that you have to fill out
They only give you a four five or six day ticket option
But guess what you can get a one two or three day also?
They just don't have it on there
You have to ask when you call but if you just wanted a one day you can get that so don't let them trick you into thinking
You have to purchase a larger day ticket
So you can get these tickets at US military bases the shades of green resort or select travel offices
(14:02):
You will have to have a valid military ID
required for the purchase and you have to show your military ID the first time you do have park entry well
Yes, you do you actually if you get military tickets
You would link them in your app like you would normally link your tickets, but you have to go to guest services
And they have to activate them for you. So you do need your
(14:25):
Military ID for that and military salute tickets are only available for active or retired US military personnel
And their spouse which is limited sick tickets per year
Next discount is the military resort hotel discounts. Now. This is different from the shades of green
So Walt Disney World offers special military rates at select Disney resort hotels
(14:49):
Discounts vary by season and availability and not all resorts are included
But value moderate and deluxe resorts often had discounted rooms
But you must book through directly through Disney by calling
407 939
780
Or you can also check the shades of green
(15:10):
Does that Disney military resort?
So the shades of green is strictly for a military resort. It's located near Magic Kingdom
It's an exclusive Disney resort for military families with deluxe accommodations at affordable rates
It's a really deluxe because we've stayed there and it just seemed average to me
(15:31):
I don't know if we're putting that in the deluxe category
Yeah, I wouldn't put it with the beach cup and the hot cup, but no
It's more like a moderate. Yeah, like Caribbean beach jinx
So it features larger rooms
discounted park tickets and and tax-free shopping
I forgot about that part and the eligibility includes active duty retire military
(15:55):
reserves
National Guard and certain veterans
So and they also have a military discount on the memory maker
Which then Robin talked about earlier is the Disney's photo pass service and it's available to military families at a discount
But you must purchase it in person at gress guest relations
(16:16):
military and
So who is eligible?
Again, this is just active duty retire military
National Guard and reserves
100% disabled veterans with valid ID and spouses with valid ID
and
To book it you're going to call Disney at
(16:36):
407 939
7 8 3 0 and ask for them as a military resort discount
And you can purchase your tickets at the military bases ITT office or the shades of green ticket office
It's a great perk for sure shades of green is in a great location over near the Magic Kingdom and
(16:57):
Speaking of the Magic Kingdom a couple of things of note if you want to see the parade and you should Disney parades are going to make you
Never want to go see another parade ever again because theirs are literally the best
But there are several spots you can sit to see the parade the Magic Kingdom parades
Start from Frontier land over by Tiana's Bayou adventure and they run all the way down Main Street and end over by the fire station
(17:22):
If you want a front row seat for the parade I would suggest staking out your spot at least 45 minutes before the parade starts
You will see lots of other people starting to line up too and actually they put up some ropes
So you'll know when the parades are coming
I personally like to sit at the edge of town square so that I'm facing Main Street and Cinderella Castle
(17:43):
I get to that spot at least an hour in advance
It makes for great photos with the castle in the background as the parade is coming up towards me and it's worth it to me to
Spend the time waiting to make sure I get the spot
I want and that works out for me too because there's a bench right by her and I'll sit on the bench
Since I can't sit on the ground for that long. Yeah, it does. It kills my back
(18:04):
So seeing what the fireworks at the end of the night
You need to grab a spot at least 45 minutes to an hour in advance true and it gets crowded very they do an awesome
Projection on the castle. It will bring you to tears. It's so good
So we recommend standing in a spot that directly faces the castle so you can see the fireworks and the show
Yeah, if for some reason you're only interested in seeing the fireworks
(18:29):
You can avoid the crowds by going to watch the fireworks over by the tangled bathrooms
That's a great spot to do that the tangled bathrooms are the ones between it's a small world and the haunted mansion and
And they should the fireworks get shot up from the area behind where the bathrooms are so you can stand there and see the fireworks
Perfectly, but you miss out on the show that's projected onto Cinderella Castle if you do that
(18:52):
It's all in what you like
I guess or you may opt to skip out the fireworks altogether because wait times for rides drop really low during the fireworks
And it made me a great time to ride a few of the rides with Harley any wait times
Yeah, and while we're talking about the end of the night fireworks
We should probably mention the rat the mad rush to get to the buses after the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom
(19:16):
Yes, many people leave right after the fireworks
Thousands and thousands of people are walking towards the buses at once
So yeah, if you
Spend the day at the Magic Kingdom or any park or they expect the buses to be very crowded
Most parks don't advertise this but they're actually open for about an hour after the official close time
(19:37):
So that makes it a great time to hang around well the crowds make their way out of the park and towards the buses
Maybe get a little shopping done or go grab a snack. We highly highly recommend taking your time in the end of the night
Yeah, we're not going to get into too many details in this podcast
But there's some extras you can add on to your Disney vacation to make it even more magical now
(19:59):
We're talking about tours and parties
Yeah, there are all sorts of magical extras that you can pay to add on to your trip
You've probably heard about Mickey's not so scary Halloween party and Mickey's very merry Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom
We've done both of them as several times and they are worth every penny
I will also add that if you're going to the park on a day that they're holding either one of those two parties
(20:21):
The Magic Kingdom is pretty dead until about noontime
So you're going to be able to get on a ton of rides on party days
It's definitely worth getting up early to rope drop on those days because really you're going to get tons and tons of rides in super early
Another tour that we have done twice is the keys to the kingdom tour at the Magic Kingdom
It's a five hour behind the scenes tour
(20:44):
Minimum my age to go on the tour 16 because they do give away some of the secrets to the magic
But we cannot recommend this tour enough. We love it
The first time we did it it was in 2019. It was a trip with just Chris and I but we loved it so much
We couldn't wait to take the boys as soon as the youngest turned 16
(21:05):
And they both loved it too and five hours does sound like a long time
But you do so many cool things on the tour you don't even realize it's five hours
Yeah, and you get to cut line on two rides
Yeah, and it includes a meal it includes a lunch at a quick service restaurant
And you get to go inside the Utilidor the underground tunnels at the Magic Kingdom
(21:26):
And yes, there are underground tunnels at the Magic Kingdom. I think we're going to talk about that in a little bit
We also done the dessert party at the Magic Kingdom a couple times
It's all you can eat desserts and then you get to special fireworks viewing it was a lot of fun
Yeah, and we did the behind the seeds tour at upcott in I said seeds as EEDS and that was a one-hour tour of the
(21:49):
greenhouses at the living with the land ride which
That ride is like therapy. I love it. It was very cool
Yeah, you can find all of these on the Disney website for a full listing of all the
Extras and tours and you can just add it to your trip. Yeah, we should also probably mention the different festivals that they have at
Upcott I know I mentioned it briefly I think in the first part, but I'm talking about the Festival of the Arts the Flower and Garden Festival
(22:14):
The Food and Wine Festival and the Festival of the Holidays
The Festival of the Arts runs in January and February the Flower and Garden Festival is March through June
The Food and Wine Festival which we love runs August through early November
And then the Festival of the Holidays is there during November and December
Yeah, and each festival has food booths set up around their world showcases and they offer special menu items
(22:40):
There's also special entertainment during each festival like concerts and Broadway type shows
Yeah, the only one we haven't been to is the Festival of the Arts and someday we'll make it to that one
Oh, one other thing I want to bring up before we quickly talk about some other of our favorite things is
Disney pin trading
Disney pin trading is a popular activity at Disney theme parks where guests collect and trade
(23:06):
Decorative pins for ensuring Disney characters
Attractions movies and more. Yeah, the tradition started in
1999 as part of the Millennium celebration at Walt Disney World and has since expanded to other Disney parks worldwide
And here's how it works guests can purchase pins at the Disney parks resorts or online
(23:26):
Some pins are a limited edition or exclusive to certain locations
So like I got one last year from Mickey's not so scary Halloween party
And I believe it had the year on it. So you could only get it at the party that year
Disney cast members wearing pin trading lanyards or have boards will trade pins with guests one for one and
(23:47):
Guests can also trade with each other if both agree although. I've never traded with another guest
Some pins a part of mystery packs
Hidden Mickey series or special events making collecting exciting
It's a fun way to interact with the cast members and other Disney fans while creating a unique souvenir collection
So here's a pro trip for you if you want to be taken some Disney pin trading
(24:10):
Go on to eBay and buy a bulk load of pins. You can get a baggie full of pins for around
$20-25 that way you can go into the pin trading with pins that you don't mind trading away
Yeah, the boys did some pin trading when they were little and that's what they did
I got them the lanyard and the pins off of eBay for super cheap and then they traded for ones they wanted
(24:31):
So do you want to talk about some of our favorite things? Yeah, I do as for our family
I would say that the sci-fi Dine-in at Hollywood Studios is one of our favorite restaurants
We definitely also love the 50s primetime cafe
They are both at Hollywood Studios. They're both themed restaurants tons of fun great menus at the sci-fi Dine-in
(24:55):
You sit in a quote-unquote car like a 50s car and it's like you're at the driving back in the 50s and they show old
Scary movies. They're not scary
but you know like old creature double feature movies the menu is great and we love it and then the 50s primetime
Cafe is say it's also obviously 50s themed and it's like you go in and you're having lunch at home
(25:19):
So you go in and all the servers are your cousins your aunt your uncle and sometimes they treat you like your family
So they've made us get up and go wash our hands
Before they've made one of our kids sweep the floor like they they really make it seem like you're at home
Like you're just another member of the family and super fun
And one thing you want to make sure of is eat everything on your plate or they will yell at you
(25:45):
Yeah, that's true that we've been yelled at for not cleaning our plates several times
So we also have done several character breakfasts over the years
And I think chef Mickey at the contemporary resort is probably our favorite. Yeah for sure
It's definitely up there
My favorite park is the Magic Kingdom and my favorite ride is the haunted mansion
Although I'm a big fan of Mickey and Minnie's runaway railway over at Hollywood Studios. How about you Chris?
(26:09):
I like the Mickey and Minnie's runaway railroad at the Hollywood
Especially that Konga room. It's so fun and I love Pirates the Caribbean also. Yeah, that's one of your favorites
Anything else? And I love the Indiana Jones show. Yeah, I know that earlier
I know my favorite show. That's a good one
They used to have the stunt show over at Hollywood Studios too
(26:30):
It's so hard for me to call it Hollywood Studios because it used to be called MGM Studios and I still call it MGM sometimes
I actually have a t-shirt that says I still call it MGM, but for
This I've been calling it Hollywood Studios, which actually hurts because I still called MGM
But I think that about does it
If you guys need any recommendations or have any questions, you know where to find me
(26:53):
You know, I love talking about Disney and I will do my best to answer you
So we hope this four-part series was helpful for you and we hope we covered everything
I think we covered a lot
So anyone that's going into a Walt Disney World vacation for the first time should have a pretty good idea about what to do
Chris and I were just there last month and we're heading back in August and
(27:15):
Actually, I'm gonna go check that countdown on my Disney experience app right now to see how many days we have left
And until next time see you later alligator in a while crocodile
Hi, I'm Robin and I'm Chris together. We're the Gen X couple
(00:22):
Hey guys take one hello everyone
We made it we are finally at the fourth and final part of our beginner's guide to planning your Walt Disney World vacation in
Part one we talked about booking your Walt Disney World vacation the different categories of the Disney resorts Disney Park ticket options
And the modes of transportation around the Disney property in part two
(00:45):
we discussed rope dropping extra magic hours park tickets and the
Lightning Lane multi-pass versus the Lightning Lane single pass
Last week in part three we broke down the Disney dining plan told you where you can find your favorite characters and let everyone know that
Yes, you can bring your own food into the parks. We broke down all the do's and don'ts of that
(01:06):
And if you haven't listened to the first three parts of the series we would recommend listening to those before you listen today
Today we have a bunch of tips and tricks to of the trade to share with you
We've been to Disney World many times and have learned a thing or two over the years
I'm not entirely sure where to start, but I'm gonna go with this one and this is for all my new Englanders out there
(01:28):
There are no Dunkin Donuts anywhere on the Disney property. They have Starbucks down there so you can still get coffee
It's just not what we're used to
great starting point
One thing that I want to talk about is what happens if you're staying on Disney property and you need medical attention
Good one
So every Disney park has a first-aid station staffed by registered nurses
(01:53):
Who provide basic medical medical assistance for gifts?
Guess yeah, each part has at least one centrally located first-aid station
And I actually found out about this what last year yes because we needed to stop by and visit but
Maybe I'll tell you about that later. So at the Magic Kingdom you can find the first-aid
(02:14):
Station between the Crystal Palace and Casey's Corner, so it's near Main Street, USA
And up caught it's near the Odyssey building between the test track and the Mexico
Pavilion and there's bathrooms in there as well
Hollywood students there's first-aid near guest relations up at the front of the park at the animal kingdom. It's behind creature comforts
(02:36):
There's a Starbucks there and it's near Discovery Island and at Blizzard Beach in Typhoon Lagoon
It's at the main entrance. So you're probably wondering what services they offer. Well, here's a breakdown
They'll give you over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acids and bandages
They'll do treatment for minor cuts scrapes or dehydration
(03:00):
They'll they provide storage for refrigerated medications and they help with medical needs like insulin or allergy
Assistance and if you need a place to rest if you're feeling unwell you want to get it out of the heat
They also can provide that. Yeah, if you or a family member ever feel unwell at Disney first-aid is your go-to
(03:22):
Spot for care. Just ask any cast member for directions
And here are some other medical resources that you may need if you need prescriptions
Avon Health provides delivery to Disney resorts
Disney has paramedics on site and they can assist in medical emergencies
Yeah, if it's something a little more serious and you need to go to urgent care
(03:43):
Go see someone at the front desk of the hotel and they will arrange
Transportation for you to the closest urgent care and I know this from experience
Yes, we've had to go to urgent care twice over the years with the most recent being last December. That's correct
Last December I needed to go to urgent care and we stopped into a resort that was closest to where we were
(04:04):
So we weren't even staying at this resort and they still called the cab for us to get to the urgent care center
Which was about 15 minutes away and then the urgent care center called for a cab for us to get back when we were done
Both were complimentary and I'm actually pretty sure they were both covered by the urgent care center
So basically what we're saying is if you get sick while you're there you have some options and options are always good
(04:27):
This next tip is going to serve you well, especially if you go to Florida during the rainy season
The rainy season in Orlando is May to October, but it peaks July through September
We usually go for a week in August. So we're not
Unfamiliar with rainy days of Walt Disney World. Yeah, not always and I always say that a rainy day at Disney is better than a sunny day at home
(04:49):
She's right. So if you're gonna go to Walt Disney World during the summer or early fall
We highly recommend bringing some disposable ponchos or rain gear with you
They do sell ponchos in the parks if you need them
But we usually stock up on the disposal ones from the Dollar Tree and just throw them in a backpack
Yeah, actually last summer when we were there there was a tropical storm and it was down
(05:13):
Pouring one of the nights. I mean torrential
We had rubber shoe covers that I bought off Amazon, but they ripped way easier than I thought they would so they were basically useless
So don't waste your money on those that was a rough day. Oh my god
Yeah, it was our shoes were soaked and we ended up wasting so much time having to put them in the dryer
The way the storm fell was that it started on a Sunday afternoon and it continued till Monday afternoon
(05:34):
So we had a dryer shoes both Sunday night and Monday night
Thankfully you can find washers and dryers at all of Disney resorts if you need them and we needed those dryers
We did but we learned a valuable lesson and I will be
Blah and I will be going with my duck shoes and waterproof socks from now on
I already ordered waterproof socks for all of us and I'll be getting the boys waterproof shoes before we go in August
(05:59):
You're probably wondering what happens at the park when it rains. Do they stay open and the answer is yes
Yeah, the indoor attractions like Space Mountain
hunted mansion and Pirates of the
Caribbean they continue operating as usual
Outdoor rides like the test track or slinky dog dash may temporarily close for safety
(06:20):
And they will definitely close if there's a thunder and lightning in the area
Some characters relocate to cover areas also. So check your my Disney experience. Yeah for updates
Yeah, Florida rain showers are usually brief unless there happens to be a tropical storm while you're there like that happened to us
So don't let the rain ruin your day. Just embrace the adventure. Yeah, like Robin said
(06:43):
We we are usually there in August and all those indoor rides are a great way to escape the heat
Disney cranks the AC so you can cool off quick quickly when you head indoors
Yeah, or you can just step inside any gift shop and I guarantee the air conditioning will be turned off
Yes, Robin does love those gifts. I do
While Disney World gift shops are more than just souvenir stands their themed shopping experiences filled with exclusive merch
(07:11):
Collectibles and even essentials you might need during your visit
A few of the cool perks you can get by shopping at the parks are mobile checkout
So you can skip the lines by using you guessed it my Disney experience app to scan and pay
if you're staying at a
Walt Disney World resort you can have your purchases sent directly to your hotel and if you buy stuff
(07:32):
And you don't want to carry your bags around all day. You can use same-day pickup at the park entrance
Yeah, Robin mentioned getting essentials at the gift shop
You can usually find things like sunblock pain relievers diapers
allergy medication
sanitizer
Sunglasses and like we mentioned earlier ponchos. They're also available at your hotel
(07:54):
Yeah, you can get all that stuff at your hotel
And if you ever need something just ask a cast member they can point you into the nearest shop that has it all
They're the best and speaking of cast members when you get to the parks who will probably notice some Disney photographers
They have a couple of different options for capturing magical photos for your family
so first up is the Disney Photo Pass and
(08:15):
This is a professional photography service at Disney World that helps guests capture their magical moments
You'll find those Disney photographers stationed at iconic park locations
You know like Cinderella Castle the Tree of Life at the animal kingdom
They'll find them at character meet and greets and then you find that like some selected attractions to find high
(08:39):
You'll find them at some select attractions to take high quality photos that you can view and purchase later
Like they're always at the haunted mansion. They'll get a cool picture with like a ghost horse and stuff. It's pretty cool
Yeah, look out for the
Photographers around the parks usually they're in front of Cinderella Castle like a tree of life and other scenic spots a
(08:59):
Disney photographer will snap your pictures and scan them to your magic band park ticket or the mind Disney experience app
And then your photos will appear in the my Disney experience app where you can preview them before you buy digital
downloads or prints. Yeah, and there's also
Disney memory maker. So what is the photo pass versus the memory maker?
(09:21):
The photo pass is the service that takes and stores your photos you pay per photo unless you purchase the memory maker
The memory maker is a prepaid package that gives you unlimited digital downloads of all your photo pet
Photo pass pictures for a flat fee. The photographers will also take photos with your phone
Or you could do what we do and just randomly across
(09:42):
Rain of people in the parks or the people right behind us. Yeah, that's true
Everyone wants pictures in the park
So if you offer to take someone's photo in exchange for them taking yours it usually works out pretty well
All right, but now you're probably thinking about your phone battery. If you have portable chargers at home bring them
But Walt Disney World also has a partnership with fuel rods that we're going to tell you about we take advantage of this one
(10:08):
We are there. Yeah, the fuel rod program at Walt Disney World is a portable phone charging service that helps you keep your
Devices powered up during your park stay
It's perfect if you're someone like me that's always taking pictures plus being on the my Disney experience app all day
We'll definitely wear down your phone battery. So here's how it works
(10:28):
You purchase a fuel rod kit by a starter kit from a self-service kiosk
Located throughout the park resorts in Disney Springs
The tip the kit typically costs around $30 and includes one portable charger
Charging cables for Apple and Android devices in a little plastic carrying case
(10:49):
You will swap the fully charged battery when your full rod runs out of juice
Visit any fuel rod kiosk to swap an empty one for fully charged one and no extra charge
And you can also recharge the fuel rod on your own using the included cables if you want to keep it longer
Yeah, they have fuel rod kiosks at all four of the parks all of the resorts the water parks and Disney Springs
(11:15):
All of the locations are listed in you guessed it that my Disney experience app under guest services
We got our original fuel rods on Amazon and they were a few dollars cheaper. Is it worth it for us?
The answer is yes. Yeah unlimited swaps with no extra fees really helps us out
One of the downsides is they don't have a lot of juice, but since you can swap as many times as you need to your battery will never run out
(11:42):
Yeah, you will definitely have to decide what works best for you and your family
And you can also bring your own charging cable and adapter and you can plug in your phone and any of the designated spots around the parks
We plug in a lot because we always bring our charging cables with us at the Magic Kingdom
You can charge over by the tangled bathrooms. You can charge at cosmic rays starlight cafes
(12:08):
because some of the tables have outlets and inside some of the shops on Main Street USA
You can charge your phones. You just have to ask a cast member at
Upclot you can charge near the exit of spaceship Earth and at the land pavilion in the sunshine seasons
Seating area where they also have these phenomenal peanut butter and chocolate whoopie pies highly recommend
(12:28):
That's downstairs outside of the soaring ride and Hollywood studios
You can charge your phones in galaxies edge over inside the droid depot
But there's limited availability there or you can sit near the seating area outside of docking base 7 at the animal kingdom
You can plug in in Pandora near Satuiland
(12:51):
Canteen or Discovery Island near the flametree barbecue and
At Disney Springs, there's plenty of outlets inside and at the Coca-Cola rooftop bar
The next thing we want to talk about are the military discounts at Walt Disney World
So you're probably wondering how we can afford to go so often and that's due to large part of the military
(13:14):
Discount that we're eligible for so here's a breakdown
You can get discounted Disney military tickets
Eligible US military members can purchase military salute tickets, which are significantly discounted compared to standard park tickets
Options include a four day five day or sick day tickets
(13:35):
Yeah, actually on the form that you have to fill out
They only give you a four five or six day ticket option
But guess what you can get a one two or three day also?
They just don't have it on there
You have to ask when you call but if you just wanted a one day you can get that so don't let them trick you into thinking
You have to purchase a larger day ticket
So you can get these tickets at US military bases the shades of green resort or select travel offices
(14:02):
You will have to have a valid military ID
required for the purchase and you have to show your military ID the first time you do have park entry well
Yes, you do you actually if you get military tickets
You would link them in your app like you would normally link your tickets, but you have to go to guest services
And they have to activate them for you. So you do need your
(14:25):
Military ID for that and military salute tickets are only available for active or retired US military personnel
And their spouse which is limited sick tickets per year
Next discount is the military resort hotel discounts. Now. This is different from the shades of green
So Walt Disney World offers special military rates at select Disney resort hotels
(14:49):
Discounts vary by season and availability and not all resorts are included
But value moderate and deluxe resorts often had discounted rooms
But you must book through directly through Disney by calling
407 939
780
Or you can also check the shades of green
(15:10):
Does that Disney military resort?
So the shades of green is strictly for a military resort. It's located near Magic Kingdom
It's an exclusive Disney resort for military families with deluxe accommodations at affordable rates
It's a really deluxe because we've stayed there and it just seemed average to me
(15:31):
I don't know if we're putting that in the deluxe category
Yeah, I wouldn't put it with the beach cup and the hot cup, but no
It's more like a moderate. Yeah, like Caribbean beach jinx
So it features larger rooms
discounted park tickets and and tax-free shopping
I forgot about that part and the eligibility includes active duty retire military
(15:55):
reserves
National Guard and certain veterans
So and they also have a military discount on the memory maker
Which then Robin talked about earlier is the Disney's photo pass service and it's available to military families at a discount
But you must purchase it in person at gress guest relations
(16:16):
military and
So who is eligible?
Again, this is just active duty retire military
National Guard and reserves
100% disabled veterans with valid ID and spouses with valid ID
and
To book it you're going to call Disney at
(16:36):
407 939
7 8 3 0 and ask for them as a military resort discount
And you can purchase your tickets at the military bases ITT office or the shades of green ticket office
It's a great perk for sure shades of green is in a great location over near the Magic Kingdom and
(16:57):
Speaking of the Magic Kingdom a couple of things of note if you want to see the parade and you should Disney parades are going to make you
Never want to go see another parade ever again because theirs are literally the best
But there are several spots you can sit to see the parade the Magic Kingdom parades
Start from Frontier land over by Tiana's Bayou adventure and they run all the way down Main Street and end over by the fire station
(17:22):
If you want a front row seat for the parade I would suggest staking out your spot at least 45 minutes before the parade starts
You will see lots of other people starting to line up too and actually they put up some ropes
So you'll know when the parades are coming
I personally like to sit at the edge of town square so that I'm facing Main Street and Cinderella Castle
(17:43):
I get to that spot at least an hour in advance
It makes for great photos with the castle in the background as the parade is coming up towards me and it's worth it to me to
Spend the time waiting to make sure I get the spot
I want and that works out for me too because there's a bench right by her and I'll sit on the bench
Since I can't sit on the ground for that long. Yeah, it does. It kills my back
(18:04):
So seeing what the fireworks at the end of the night
You need to grab a spot at least 45 minutes to an hour in advance true and it gets crowded very they do an awesome
Projection on the castle. It will bring you to tears. It's so good
So we recommend standing in a spot that directly faces the castle so you can see the fireworks and the show
Yeah, if for some reason you're only interested in seeing the fireworks
(18:29):
You can avoid the crowds by going to watch the fireworks over by the tangled bathrooms
That's a great spot to do that the tangled bathrooms are the ones between it's a small world and the haunted mansion and
And they should the fireworks get shot up from the area behind where the bathrooms are so you can stand there and see the fireworks
Perfectly, but you miss out on the show that's projected onto Cinderella Castle if you do that
(18:52):
It's all in what you like
I guess or you may opt to skip out the fireworks altogether because wait times for rides drop really low during the fireworks
And it made me a great time to ride a few of the rides with Harley any wait times
Yeah, and while we're talking about the end of the night fireworks
We should probably mention the rat the mad rush to get to the buses after the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom
(19:16):
Yes, many people leave right after the fireworks
Thousands and thousands of people are walking towards the buses at once
So yeah, if you
Spend the day at the Magic Kingdom or any park or they expect the buses to be very crowded
Most parks don't advertise this but they're actually open for about an hour after the official close time
(19:37):
So that makes it a great time to hang around well the crowds make their way out of the park and towards the buses
Maybe get a little shopping done or go grab a snack. We highly highly recommend taking your time in the end of the night
Yeah, we're not going to get into too many details in this podcast
But there's some extras you can add on to your Disney vacation to make it even more magical now
(19:59):
We're talking about tours and parties
Yeah, there are all sorts of magical extras that you can pay to add on to your trip
You've probably heard about Mickey's not so scary Halloween party and Mickey's very merry Christmas party at the Magic Kingdom
We've done both of them as several times and they are worth every penny
I will also add that if you're going to the park on a day that they're holding either one of those two parties
(20:21):
The Magic Kingdom is pretty dead until about noontime
So you're going to be able to get on a ton of rides on party days
It's definitely worth getting up early to rope drop on those days because really you're going to get tons and tons of rides in super early
Another tour that we have done twice is the keys to the kingdom tour at the Magic Kingdom
It's a five hour behind the scenes tour
(20:44):
Minimum my age to go on the tour 16 because they do give away some of the secrets to the magic
But we cannot recommend this tour enough. We love it
The first time we did it it was in 2019. It was a trip with just Chris and I but we loved it so much
We couldn't wait to take the boys as soon as the youngest turned 16
(21:05):
And they both loved it too and five hours does sound like a long time
But you do so many cool things on the tour you don't even realize it's five hours
Yeah, and you get to cut line on two rides
Yeah, and it includes a meal it includes a lunch at a quick service restaurant
And you get to go inside the Utilidor the underground tunnels at the Magic Kingdom
(21:26):
And yes, there are underground tunnels at the Magic Kingdom. I think we're going to talk about that in a little bit
We also done the dessert party at the Magic Kingdom a couple times
It's all you can eat desserts and then you get to special fireworks viewing it was a lot of fun
Yeah, and we did the behind the seeds tour at upcott in I said seeds as EEDS and that was a one-hour tour of the
(21:49):
greenhouses at the living with the land ride which
That ride is like therapy. I love it. It was very cool
Yeah, you can find all of these on the Disney website for a full listing of all the
Extras and tours and you can just add it to your trip. Yeah, we should also probably mention the different festivals that they have at
Upcott I know I mentioned it briefly I think in the first part, but I'm talking about the Festival of the Arts the Flower and Garden Festival
(22:14):
The Food and Wine Festival and the Festival of the Holidays
The Festival of the Arts runs in January and February the Flower and Garden Festival is March through June
The Food and Wine Festival which we love runs August through early November
And then the Festival of the Holidays is there during November and December
Yeah, and each festival has food booths set up around their world showcases and they offer special menu items
(22:40):
There's also special entertainment during each festival like concerts and Broadway type shows
Yeah, the only one we haven't been to is the Festival of the Arts and someday we'll make it to that one
Oh, one other thing I want to bring up before we quickly talk about some other of our favorite things is
Disney pin trading
Disney pin trading is a popular activity at Disney theme parks where guests collect and trade
(23:06):
Decorative pins for ensuring Disney characters
Attractions movies and more. Yeah, the tradition started in
1999 as part of the Millennium celebration at Walt Disney World and has since expanded to other Disney parks worldwide
And here's how it works guests can purchase pins at the Disney parks resorts or online
(23:26):
Some pins are a limited edition or exclusive to certain locations
So like I got one last year from Mickey's not so scary Halloween party
And I believe it had the year on it. So you could only get it at the party that year
Disney cast members wearing pin trading lanyards or have boards will trade pins with guests one for one and
(23:47):
Guests can also trade with each other if both agree although. I've never traded with another guest
Some pins a part of mystery packs
Hidden Mickey series or special events making collecting exciting
It's a fun way to interact with the cast members and other Disney fans while creating a unique souvenir collection
So here's a pro trip for you if you want to be taken some Disney pin trading
(24:10):
Go on to eBay and buy a bulk load of pins. You can get a baggie full of pins for around
$20-25 that way you can go into the pin trading with pins that you don't mind trading away
Yeah, the boys did some pin trading when they were little and that's what they did
I got them the lanyard and the pins off of eBay for super cheap and then they traded for ones they wanted
(24:31):
So do you want to talk about some of our favorite things? Yeah, I do as for our family
I would say that the sci-fi Dine-in at Hollywood Studios is one of our favorite restaurants
We definitely also love the 50s primetime cafe
They are both at Hollywood Studios. They're both themed restaurants tons of fun great menus at the sci-fi Dine-in
(24:55):
You sit in a quote-unquote car like a 50s car and it's like you're at the driving back in the 50s and they show old
Scary movies. They're not scary
but you know like old creature double feature movies the menu is great and we love it and then the 50s primetime
Cafe is say it's also obviously 50s themed and it's like you go in and you're having lunch at home
(25:19):
So you go in and all the servers are your cousins your aunt your uncle and sometimes they treat you like your family
So they've made us get up and go wash our hands
Before they've made one of our kids sweep the floor like they they really make it seem like you're at home
Like you're just another member of the family and super fun
And one thing you want to make sure of is eat everything on your plate or they will yell at you
(25:45):
Yeah, that's true that we've been yelled at for not cleaning our plates several times
So we also have done several character breakfasts over the years
And I think chef Mickey at the contemporary resort is probably our favorite. Yeah for sure
It's definitely up there
My favorite park is the Magic Kingdom and my favorite ride is the haunted mansion
Although I'm a big fan of Mickey and Minnie's runaway railway over at Hollywood Studios. How about you Chris?
(26:09):
I like the Mickey and Minnie's runaway railroad at the Hollywood
Especially that Konga room. It's so fun and I love Pirates the Caribbean also. Yeah, that's one of your favorites
Anything else? And I love the Indiana Jones show. Yeah, I know that earlier
I know my favorite show. That's a good one
They used to have the stunt show over at Hollywood Studios too
(26:30):
It's so hard for me to call it Hollywood Studios because it used to be called MGM Studios and I still call it MGM sometimes
I actually have a t-shirt that says I still call it MGM, but for
This I've been calling it Hollywood Studios, which actually hurts because I still called MGM
But I think that about does it
If you guys need any recommendations or have any questions, you know where to find me
(26:53):
You know, I love talking about Disney and I will do my best to answer you
So we hope this four-part series was helpful for you and we hope we covered everything
I think we covered a lot
So anyone that's going into a Walt Disney World vacation for the first time should have a pretty good idea about what to do
Chris and I were just there last month and we're heading back in August and
(27:15):
Actually, I'm gonna go check that countdown on my Disney experience app right now to see how many days we have left
And until next time see you later alligator in a while crocodile
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