First Time in 8 Years - a Few Final Questions!

[Queenie]

Hi all,
We're heading back to WDW next weekend for the first time in 8 years(!) so things have changed a lot. Got a few final - I hope, stressing out a lot here - questions if anyone can help me out? Thanks!

Heathrow Virgin Atlantic Check-In
I can check in online 24 hours before my flight with Virgin Atlantic, but it doesn't mention anything about bags. Do we keep them with us at the airport hotel and drop them off the morning of the flight or is there an evening baggage drop-off like I remember from times gone by?

Park Hopping and Reservations
If I have a reservation for, say, Magic Kingdom on Monday but we don't go, could we then go to a different park (say EPCOT) that same day after 2pm or do we have to have entered Magic Kingdom that day to "activate" our reservation and be able to hop to another park?

Memory Maker
We have Memory Maker included with our passes, as we did last time. Do I need to link them to MDE in any way or will that have already happened as they're part of the tickets? When I open the Disney app and click Photos, it says "Your PhotoPass photos and videos will appear here." Also, videos? What videos???

On our last trip, the rides with photos detected our magic bands and the photos showed up automatically in our PhotoPass accounts without us doing anything. This time, we're staying off-site so no magic bands. We'll be carrying the physical credit card style tickets and they're linked to our phones (no Apple Watches). Can the rides detect the phones/tickets now or will I need to scan something to get ride photos linked?

Uber/Lyft
I have Uber installed on my phone for use in the UK, will that same app work in the US or do I need a US-specific Uber app? Same for Lyft.

Finally, if anyone has stayed at Holiday Inn Club Vacations at Orange Lake, when/how often does housekeeping come by? Want to make sure I have appropriate cash to leave for tips.

 

[csimon]

Park hopping
You will have to enter the park you have a reservation for before you can hop to another. You could cancel your MK reservation and make another one for Epcot, althought hat runs the risk of Epcot reservations not being available (you'd run that risk with hopping though, you're not guaranteed entry). I think MDE now allows you to modify rather than cancel and re-reserve, but not sure of the details.

Memory Maker
As long as you have the tickets in MDE, MM will activate automatically. If you'd bought it separately then you'd have link it manually with its ticket code. Videos - some rides have videos, e.g. Tower of Terror, Mine Train IIRC.
The automatic photos rely on long-range RFID technology which requires power to operate, i,e, a Magic Band with a battery that hasn't run down so no, ordinary tickets won't work. I believe MDE on a bluetooth-enabled phone can also do it, you need to set up the Magic Mobile Pass (contactless) feature, see https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/faq/photopass/linking-attraction-photos/ and https://www.disneyworld.co.uk/guest-services/magic-mobile/. I'm not sure if every attraction has this technology but certainly you can still tap your ticket or phone on the touch points. IIRC Dinosaur was long-range only and doesn't have touch points.

Uber/Lyft
I don't know about Uber but I'm sure there is only one app for Lyft, I installed it and set mine up before travelling. But having said that, Lyft doesn't operate in the UK anyway. I've looked up the description for the Uber app in the Google store and it says "affordable rides in the UK and other cities", which suggests it offers you a UK-specific version of the app, but it does say "other cities" too and if you look at the page that it links to www.uber.com/cities it shows you cities all over the world, including Orlando. Strangely, UK is listed first, which again suggests it's a UK site which is a bit odd! But perhaps it just recognises the country you're browsing from. Anyway, perhaps soemone who's actually used Uber in both UK and USA could give you a definitive answer!

 

[deno]

Uber/Lyft
Anyway, perhaps soemone who's actually used Uber in both UK and USA could give you a definitive answer!

Yes, you just use the regular Uber app that you use over here, it works fine. And it's cheap! Well, not as cheap now as it was last month

 

[CinderEmma94]

As far as ride photos go - each park and Disney springs have a photopass location (Epcot is in line traders under SSE, DHS next to guest services at the entrance, MK in town square next to the Mickey meet, DAK next to stroller/wheelchair rental at the entrance). If your photos don’t show up, the CM can look them up and link them for you. Please take a pic while you’re in line about to get on the ride so you have the exact time. Makes it so much easier to find the pics. You only have to go to one - they can find pics from all over property at each location. This works for the pics taken by regular photographers too. If you have an approx time and location they’ll be able to link them. It was honestly my favorite position to work when I was a photopass photographer.