Forget A Medication
If you forget to bring a medication, have no fear, call your doctor for an emergency prescription to be called into Turner Pharmacy or WalGreens. Technically, the resort sent me to Turner Pharmacy, who delivers the prescription directly to the resort. When I called them to give them insurance and resort info, I was told they do not accept insurance and it is up to me to get reimbursed from the insurance company when I got home.
I did not care, because in this situation, getting the prescription is more important than anything else. Our doctor called in a prescription, but Turner did not carry this particular prescription so our doctor chose a WalGreens in the vicinity. When I called that particular WalGreens after the doctor called with that information, thankfully, we found out they have a company that delivers to the resort. There is a charge, but, once again, I did not care. We just needed the medication.
Warning: Because we were not due to obtain a refill, we paid out of pocket for the few pills to get us through until we got home and could not be reimbursed.
Disney Vacation Club Member Tip
Points can shift to more popular days from one year to the next. You looked at this year’s points book and just when you thought you had plenty of points for your next year’s trip on a particular week, you see the new point listing and points shifted. You discover you’re short 3 points. What? Don’t fear! Call DVC to discuss buying some points as a “one-time use per year”. You can buy up to 24 points one time per year.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
While the attraction is fun, the cars were not constructed very well for leg comfort. If you have knee issues, have had knee surgery and/or do not bend them well, you may want to reconsider going on the ride. It is not just the cars themselves, either. They are snug, but the tightness occurs when you pull the safety bar towards you. Both legs are squished in between the two bars.
Men (including young men in their late teens) are complaining about their favorite parts being squished when the bar is put into place and many people of all different sizes including small teenagers find it to be a little too snug. Perfect description: “An adult trying to get into a child’s ride”.
Flight of Passage
For the ostomates who will be riding Pandora’s Flight Of Passage, it has been brought to my attention that there could be issues. The ride itself squeezes your tummy and legs. Nothing really tight but in a rubbing type of fashion. I thought you’d want to be aware of this and make sure your appliance is prepared for this situation.
Park Hours
Just because you checked the park hours when they were first released, does not mean they are the same by the time you get there. The times changed adding hours to open earlier and stay open later in order to alleviate Disney’s expectation for a busy week at the last minute. In fact, they opened Epcot earlier without posting it! We arrived at 8:45am to wait for the 9am opening at Epcot and it was already open. It had been open for quite a while.
When Disney had Extra Magic Hours, instead of the usual “Extra Magic Hours” of 8am opening time at Magic Kingdom, it was changed to 7am. This messed up my plan of walking on Main Street, U.S.A. with no crowds on our way to breakfast before the park opens to the public (before the opening show changed location to the stage), but we were able to get on more rides with minimal wait time than anticipated. All of the parks had earlier opening and later closing times than they originally posted. It was great!
Spending Limit
Each resort has a limit on spending that can be billed to your room. The limit depends on the resort. Sometimes, there are mishaps, because, as we all know, Disney is not perfect. I tried to buy something for $10.05 shortly after we arrived on our first day. I was told I was over my spending limit. This was my first purchase at this hotel so I knew something was wrong. Thankfully, we still carry our credit card with us as proof of discount when applicable (Disney credit card offers discounts. Certain exceptions apply).
We have to carry our Annual Passholder cards, Disney Vacation Club Membership cards and ID’s for proof of using those discounts, as well. Upon inquiring about the spending limit at the resort, there was a snafu where someone inputted a $2.00 limit instead of $2,000 limit. So, be sure to ask your resort what the limit is or simply carry the credit card with you that the resort would be charging, anyway. It is better to be safe than sorry. For more information on the Disney credit card, click here.
Be Our Guest Restaurant
If you have tried to get reservations at Be Our Guest, you know how impossible it is. We managed to score reservations at 8:40pm just a couple days before our check-in date. We were waiting for the crowds to swarm in once we arrived at the restaurant, but nothing. No one waiting and many, many tables open. This is because they keep some tables open for people to walk up and get a table. Not all tables are for reservations.
A friend of mine has successfully walked up to the restaurant 4 times without a reservation and was seated without issues. So, just because you did not manage to score a reservation time, does not mean you cannot get a table. You are just more apt to get in without any problems if you go later than the normal eating times. Use my scheduled time of reservation as a reference as to when the best time to walk-up would be, because this restaurant was practically empty according to Disney standards. For more tips on booking dining reservations, click here.
Special Event Tickets
Buy your tickets for your desired event on the desired night as soon as Disney allows you to purchase the tickets. I would love to go to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on Halloween night, but tickets for Halloween night sell out within hours of being released.
Great Ride for the Blind
I learned that blind guests love to go on the Tomorrowland Speedway, because it is the only place in the world they are able to drive independently.
Food and Wine Festival
When a storm is in the area, it is raining and/or within minutes after a storm, F&W vendors are not allowed to use credit card machines or MagicBands for purchases due to safety reasons. Only cash is accepted. This lasted for over 2 hours. Who carries cash in Disney?! So, be sure you have cash, just in case, for the outdoor vendors.
Memory Maker Vs. PhotoPass
If you purchase Photopass to be added with your Annual Pass, Photopass is good for the year of the annual pass. Memory Maker is good for the 45 days after the trip. But, with just photopass, if the annual passholder is not with someone for a picture, (on a ride, with photographer, etc.) their picture may not be loaded to the photopass. You simply touch your MagicBand to the picture at the end of the ride in order to load it to the Passholder’s Photopass account as long as you are on their reservation.
Memory Maker works the same way. The Annual Passholder with Photopass does not have to scan their MagicBand after every ride. As a cast member said “The picture will automatically upload”. For more information about Memory Maker, click here.
Annual Passes
When purchasing annual passes for people, normally, it appears that the person who buys the tickets must be present when the tickets are first used. That is not always possible. We were told that if I buy the tickets over the phone, the tickets get mailed to me and then I mail the tickets to the recipients. Upon first use, the recipients state the tickets were gifts. Simple, right? Guess what? Within 48 hours, that plan changed.
I didn’t receive the tickets in the mail, yet, and the recipients wanted to go to the parks sooner than later. Time to make more phone calls! Disney said they are able to get my permission to add one of the ticket holders’ name as the person to pick up the tickets at the theme parks in person. The one “approved” person and the recipients merely need their valid ID’s to pick up the tickets. My question was, “can’t you just add everything to their MagicBands?” Yes, they can, but you still need to go to guest relations.
Even though the tickets have already been linked to your My Disney Experience account, it doesn’t mean it’s on your MagicBand. It is also best that each person has their own MDE account. If the recipient does not have a MB, yet, it will be issued when they go to guest relations. The ultimate, best process is to have all of it done days or weeks before you first need the tickets, but when you need the tickets for a last minute trip to the “Happiest Place on Earth”, just remember that there is a way. Don’t give up or think there is no way, because there is a way.
Festival of The Lion King
Be sure your entire party is with you when you go to stand in line for this show. People are not allowed to join you in line after you have been standing in line, anymore. The entire group must be together at all times. If part of your group walks up without you, they have to stay at the end of the line. It does not matter if you are in the regular line, Lightening Lane or wheelchair line. No one is allowed to join other people already in line, so plan accordingly.
Shipping to Resort
If shipping items (UPS and FedEx) to your resort to be there upon your arrival, keep in mind they do NOT deliver on the weekends. Even if the arrival says Friday, be careful and consider package arrival a day or two earlier. People have shipped with an expected arrival of Friday, but the shipping company had a delay and it did not arrive until Monday. Disney accepts and holds packages up to 5 days prior to a guest’s check-in date. Remember that Disney charges $6/package that is mailed to the resort via UPS, FEDEX and USPS. For information about grocery delivery, click here.
Bugs/Leg Rash
For those of you wondering what the rash is above your sock line on your legs that progressively gets worse the longer you are in Disney, there is a combination or could be one or the other of these two items.
- Exercise-induced vasculitis (EIV)–this condition is also called golfer’s rash, hiker’s rash and golfer’s vasculitis. It is more commonly seen in women aged over 50. It is harmless and it often disappears on its own within 2 weeks after it appears. Visitors to these popular spots end up walking long distances and the strain of extended walking along with the warm weather causes frequent breakouts of the rash.
- It is a skin reaction to the “no-see-um” bug bites. Some people do not have any reaction at all, but everyone gets bitten by these bugs. Through the process of elimination, I found that if you don’t put lotion on your legs, the rash is not as prominent. In the summer, it’s brutal. The fall? A little less, but I have had them bite through my pants assuming because the pants are thin, because they can’t bite through the socks. In January, they were non-existent.
Obviously, weather plays into the factor on how bad they are present/biting and how bad your rash will be. Keep in mind that when I was there in January, it was a very cold week. So, the bugs could be somewhat active if the weather is warmer in January. The rash does go away within 2 weeks after you return home. It is not itchy, but it is, certainly, not pretty. I buy a bug spray specifically to stop the bites.
Gum
Yes, Walt Disney World is filled with candy, desserts, sugar, sugar, SUGAR, but you cannot purchase gum anywhere in Walt Disney World. You know how we all love the cleanliness of WDW! Avoiding one of the worst offenders this world has with poorly disposed trash is the best way to help control something that is not so easy to clean up. If you decide to bring your own gum to the parks, please be sure everyone in your vacation party makes the responsible decision to throw it away in a trash can. I know I do not like to step in it.