Budgeting your time at Walt Disney World - Part 2: Intermediate Timesavers

Welcome to part two in a three part series. I’m putting my years of experience visiting Walt Disney World to work for you, the wonderful readers of Blog.ReunionResort.com! I’ve been visiting WDW almost annually for well over twenty years, and now that I live in Florida I’m there at least once every few months.

As mentioned in my previous post, I’m all about getting the maximum amount of Disney into one trip, and this post will feature tips for those of you who have are planning a return trip to Walt Disney World (or those of you who have already committed my previous post to memory). These suggestions aren’t more difficult than the basic ones, but they are intended for someone with a more ambitious schedule (and some will be hard if you are traveling with small children).

But let’s dispense with the preliminaries and move on to the reason you came here.

Intermediate Timesavers:

Skip the complimentary transportation. Yes, the Disney buses and monorail system are terribly convenient, but the price you pay is in time. I won’t diverge into a discussion of public transportation here other than to say I’m for it, unless your time is tight, and if you’re trying to make it to all of the parks efficiently, then your time is tight. Your parking pass (a “bargain” at $11.00) is good all day at all four parks, so use it. If you arrived early you should be within walking distance of your car, or at the first tram stop. Drive yourself to the next park, and you won’t need to wait for the bus to arrive, fill, and slowly drive to your next stop. If you have a need to ride the monorail, you’re in luck, because you will need to ride it to the Magic Kingdom (which you won’t be visiting on a Saturday, right?).

On the subject of transportation, don’t forget about the ferryboat. This is an if ___ then ___ type of tip. If, upon arrival at the Ticket and Transportation Center (the place where the monorail takes guests to the Magic Kingdom), the line for the monorail extends down the ramp, and the ferry is at the dock, take the ferry (on your left as you enter). The ferry makes the crossing slower than the monorail, but if you have to wait for the next monorail train the ferry is your better option. If the line for the monorail has gone beyond the platform to include the ramp, then you won’t be on the next train.

Take a break. Seriously. The single biggest obstacle to completing an ambitious, park-hopping schedule is fatigue. Whether or not you are staying close to Disney, like at (apologies for the obvious plug) Ginn Reunion, get out of the parks for two to three hours at the peak of the day. The weather is the hottest and the crowds are the largest from around 12:30 until around 5:00, so carve out some time in there for yourself. Go back to your hotel for a nap, or some pool time, or just do some shopping, or have a nice meal. You’ll recharge your batteries a bit, and you’ll be able to return to the parks stronger, and stay until late (which with the fireworks and all rides in the dark is probably the coolest time to be there).

Bring a couple of empty zipper bags. Why? Because you want to ride Splash Mountain, and you have your cell phone and camera with you. Yep, I just saved you like 400 bucks. No need to thank me, just knowing that your electronic devices are safe helps me sleep better at night.

Ask the PhotoPass photographers to use your camera. This one may come as a surprise, but the PhotoPass photographers will usually gladly take a photo of your group with your camera, saving you money that you might spend the very pricey PhotoPass service. (But if it’s your first visit, or you are willing to pay for the convenience, the PhotoPass service can be very handy.)

Dining is kind of a strange animal because everyone has different preferences, so I’m going to offer several strategies for you to use as you see fit. I should point out that Disney offers a dining plan that I’ve heard good things about, but I’ve never used it myself, and therefore don’t feel comfortable recommending it. If you have tried it, please share your experience in the comments.

Snack all day. Neither the healthiest nor the least expensive way to go, but park food is fun and you’re on vacation. All of the parks have concessions stands around with goodies like turkey legs, McDonald’s fries, churros, ice cream bars, hot dogs, etc. It’ll bring out the kid in you, but don’t expect everyone in your party to be on board for this dining option.

Maximum efficiency for full meals; counter service restaurants. If speed is your primary goal (as it usually is for me on day one), eat at counter service restaurants at off times. This may seem obvious, but you’d be amazed at how easy it is to walk into the Columbia Harbor House in the Magic Kingdom (between Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion) at 2:30 and find a short line and tons of open tables. These restaurants offer a pretty decent value, and if you find one that is either out of the main traffic flow or has easily missed signage, you’ll be in and out quickly. Also, some of these restaurants have second floor seating. The second floor is almost always less crowded, and therefore quieter.

The full-on experience, make reservations. If you’re looking for the full Disney experience, you probably want to eat in one of the more elaborately themed restaurants (like anything in Epcot’s World Showcase). This means you have to create a bit of a schedule for yourself, and make reservations in advance. If you are interested in lunching at one of these spots I highly recommend going for a noon reservation, rather than trying to get an off-time. The restaurants open at noon, and if you have an early reservation, you are less likely to arrive on-time only to have to wait for a table to open. Don’t worry, the kitchen can handle the rush. They do it every day.

Lunch recovery, off-site. Okay, you’ve made the smart move to leave the park for a few hours in the early afternoon. Obviously there are tons of places to eat in the Orlando area, from your hotel to countless fast food joints to theme restaurants, but if you still want a bit of the Disney experience in your lunch break, head over to Downtown Disney. If your goal is to escape the crowd, things are pretty quiet (by comparison) at Downtown Disney in the early afternoon, and there are several great places to eat and shop, and some amazing sundaes at Ghirardelli (they may look pretty basic, but trust me, they are awesome!). This area gets packed at night, so early afternoon is really the ideal time to come anyway.

That’s it for now. Please share your own tips in the comments, and look for part three next week!