Semi-Last Minute Solo trip, few questions

[SWReynolds7]

Hiya,

Recently went through a break up and have to get out of here for a bit, so I thought, why not Disney World? I would have planned better, but only recently booked things.

Anyway, I'm staying off-site due to amazing work discounts. I bought my park hopper pass using ticketsatwork.com (another discount)

I've linked the confirmation number on the Disney website and now see my ticket there.

Question 1: Is there a way to get my passcard ahead of time so I can hit the ground running my first day? I have basically a will call ticket but already linked it to my Disney account.

Question 2: If I order a magicband right now can I link it to the ticket and avoid will call and just go right in? Does the band work for non-resort guests?

I'll be there on what the online calendars are showing light to moderate, and am trying to plan my days. There are a few FP options available online but not in the mornings for most of these.

I'm mostly interested in the more Adult rides, but also want to visit anything Star Wars or Avatar related.
Question 3: Does anyone have any strategies for the week of Nov 11th? I heard the Avatar Flight of Passage is usually fairly booked, and want to hit that at least once or twice.

I'm not in any rush, I'll be in the area for 10 days, but it bleeds into the busy Thanksgiving week, so want to really hit the busy stuff the week before, and then the non-crowd stuff later.

Any help would be great, Thanks!

 

[FCDub]

Hiya,

Question 2: If I order a magicband right now can I link it to the ticket and avoid will call and just go right in? Does the band work for non-resort guests?

Question 3: Does anyone have any strategies for the week of Nov 11th? I heard the Avatar Flight of Passage is usually fairly booked, and want to hit that at least once or twice.

Yes, it works for non-resort guests. But you won't be able to use it to charge.

For FOP access, arrive 60-75 minutes before park opening, or get in line at the very end of the night, just before park close.

 

[EddieValiant]

If you aren't doing the Very Merry Christmas Party, you can only see the Happily Ever After fireworks show Sunday the 11th, Wednesday the 14th and Saturday the 17th the first week. Wednesday night will be especially tough because there are Extra Magic Hours for Disney resort guests that night. (And I'll be there doing it!).

Are you arriving the day before your first park day? Getting a Magicband in the mail could be cutting it close now. Can you go to Disney Springs the day you arrive? You could buy a Magicband and/or get your passcard the night before your first park day.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Just wanted to say to the DIS @SWReynolds7. Enjoy your trip.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I don't have experience with the ticketsatwork but I can give some tips regarding Pandora --

We had a FP for FoP but saw the times go from 120 minutes to 180 minutes in about an hour around 11a. BUT when we went back around 6p, the time had dropped to 90 minutes and then by 7p it had dropped to 65 minutes. For early morning or late evening are the best if you don't have a FP.

Have a great trip!

 

[SWReynolds7]

Thanks all for the replies, I actually did a 2-day shipping on the magic band and should get it tomorrow.

And thanks for the warm welcome. I was at WDW in 1990 as a kid, so I'm really eager to make it back and do everything I want to at my own pace.

I've got my days planned based on which days have EMA (ie avoiding the parks that do), and plan to do rope drops at each park in the mornings, and have FP+ in the afternoons evenings as a backup. I'm also going to hit Universal in this time for Harry Potter stuff. If you can't tell by now by mentioning SW, Avatar, and Harry Potter, I'm a bit of a nerd.

New question: I'm debating on bringing a bag/backpack or not. How painful is it for most of the thrill/dark/slow rides to bring a bag along? I plan to hop around quite a bit. I typically wear some cargo shorts so I could stuff what I need in them, but suncreen/water bottles could get bulky. Any ideas for the solo visitor?

 

[jsmla]

For the most part a day bag isn't a problem at Disney. They are very strict at Universal. Most of the rides only allow a small waist bag with a three prong clasp, two attractions (Hulk and Rip Ride Rockit) don't allow anything at all, even in your pockets. These two rides have metal detectors. The Universal rides have free lockers nearby.

 

[SWReynolds7]

Thanks for the help all, I had a very successful first day at MK:

- Rope Dropped 7 Dwarves, glad I didn't wait for the 100+ posted later in the day, it was just okay for me.
- Avoided Peter Pan (was 60 after 7 Dwarves)
- Basically walked on to Big Thunder Mountain, the short line was moving the whole time.
- Avoided Splash Mountain (was 65 I think)
- 10 min wait at Pirates
- Avoided another 65 at Jungle Cruise
- 30ish minute wait at Space Mountain. I now remember why I only rode it once when I was a kid (cue the Tylenol from the jostling)
- By now it was just before 11, and the park was getting REALLY crowded.
- Hit the Carousel of Progress for nostalgia.
- Ate some food and then bit the bullet for a 50 minute wait at Peter Pan. Really not what I remembered, I guess I out-grew it.
- Hall of Presidents soon after (I'm glad they've updated it semi well)
- Modified my 8:30PM Big Thunder (knew I wouldn't last that long) which netted me a Splash Mountain FP about 30 minutes later.
- FP Splash Mountain. Single rider so got soaked in the front seat, totally worth it to end the day.

All in all I basically hit all the rides I wanted to minus Jungle Cruise, with only a couple longer waits. My only regret was committing to the long Peter Pan wait time (and skipping the 3rd application of sunscreen)

I'm sure the mods will probably lock this since all my questions were answered, but just wanted to drop a thanks. I hope FoP RD will be as smooth later this week.

 

[SWReynolds7]

Ok, we're not locked yet so I'll keep going!

Day 2 @ Epcot:

- Rope Drop a bit different @ Epcot, no guides, just a mad dash after the drum/can show.
- Hit Soarin in the first group, besides those already doing it after breakfast I guess (no Extra Magic Hours that I could tell). Really like this ride, too bad it's so short.
- Sped across to Test Track and had a 7-10 minute wait in the single rider line. Regular standby was already at 60.
- Nearly barfed my guts out with basically a walk on at Mission:Space
- Was about 10 at this point and the park was getting busy.
- Started in line at Spaceship Earth at 10:05, and it was about 35 minutes til I sat down. The ride is a bit longer than I remember as a kid, and I either grew out of it or it didn't age well. Either way, it may look really crowded but the line constantly flows.
- Little behind at this point because I wanted to do Nemo & Living w/ the Land before lunch and they were both posted at 40
- Ate an early lunch and Canceled one of my afternoon FP's and got Nemo FP for 11:30
- After I badged into Nemo I got a Living the Land FP for just after noon.
- Afterward I did the miserably crowded and hot World Showcase walk. Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen Epcot on the last day of Food and Wine? Ah well....
- Too tired for the other afternoon FPs, basically was dragging my feet to get to the car.

So I hit everything I wanted to and was back at the hotel by 2pm.

 

[anne60]

Our entire group had to go back to the hotel after riding mission space (this was before there was a "non-spinning" option). I've ridden every ride at both Disney and universal - this is the only ride that made me sick!

 

[amiskell28]

Sounds like you are having a really great trip! What a perfect way to get over that break up! (sorry about that, btw)

And I don't think this would get closed just because it's been answered..... you're basically giving us a mini-trip report, which is very cool.

Have a great trip!

 

[SG131]

So far you’re off to a great start! Glad it’s working out for you, feel free to post more updates. I hope you get to do everything on your list and clear your head a bit. I’m going on a clear my head trip in Dec so I know the feeling.

 

[Babsy]

You are rocking this solo trip. Good for you! And thank you for sharing the great updates. The play by play makes me feel like I am there with you!

Enjoy!

 

[SWReynolds7]

Wow, thanks all, Proceed I shall!

Day 3 @ Hollywood Studios (with a twist):

- Rope dropped Slinky Dog. Was a bit more of a mad house than MK 7DMT, wider pathway I guess. I prefer this ride over 7 dwarves for some reason. Comparable, but more enjoyable.
- Waved at the Slinky Dog line (which had made it back to Walt Disney Presents by then) as I walked my way to:
- Rock n' Roller Coaster. SR line was maybe a 2 min wait. This one's an intense experience.
- Had a FP for Star Tours a bit later but the wait was only 5 minutes, so I hit that. This one made me a bit nauseous, which is odd because I did it at Disneyland a few years back and didn't feel a thing. Maybe they've made it more jerky or maybe it was my seat position.
- Enjoyed all the Star Wars stuff that was open, including the March of the First Order, until I ate lunch.
- FP for Indiana Jones show, which is just as I remembered it, but I also appreciate it more as an adult for some reason.
- While I was sitting waiting for Indy (Disney, please invest in padded seats for this show), I canceled my Hollywood Studios FPs and started looking at Animal Kingdom.
- Hopped over to AK and rode Navi River with a new FP, which is a great ride for any Avatar fan. Though I wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for it unless you are trying to escape the heat, and the line has made it inside the caves.
- Soon after had a Dinosaur FP, which really reminded me of the Indiana Jones ride @ Disneyland, very jerky and fast paced. It's one I could probably skip next time around.
- Was about to call it a day but remembered Expedition Everest has a semi hidden SR line. This was an actual 10 minute Single Rider wait, but it still beat the 45 min posted standby.
- There was a Safari Fast Pass, but at around 2:30 in the afternoon I just couldn't take the heat, so I'll catch that one a different day.

Another great day for my solo trip that I really enjoyed, minus the Star Tours nausea (even with dramamine in my system). I'm hesitant to try Star Wars The Void @ Disney Springs due to my reaction to Star Tours, but I really want to.

For those who aren't aware, a HUGE time saver is ordering food from the app. You get it WAY quicker than standing in the lines at the same places. As a solo traveler, I didn't see the need to reserve a sit-down table, and these places that have mobile-pick up have plenty of options for a quick and filling meal. I learned about it from one of those "Mistakes you shouldn't make @ DW" videos and it's been a big help on the solo trip. I can't find the vid again or I'd give credit to the gal who helped inform me of this.

 

[amiskell28]

For those who aren't aware, a HUGE time saver is ordering food from the app.

Is this the mobile ordering I've been reading about? Is it on the MDE app? TIA!

 

[SG131]

You know the older I get the more trouble I have with rides (and I say that as someone a bit younger than you). I used to be the ride anything type but now when I go on some of the bigger rides at places like six flags or Hersey the Dramamine comes along. You may still be ok with the void. I haven’t done it but have done other virtual reality games and it’s so real and tied to your own movements so it’s not nearly as much of a jolt as star tours where the whole car is moving. I hope it works out for you!

I think Indiana jones is more impressive as an adult because we now understand just how hard it is to get an adult body to move like that! I’m not sure how long you’re going to be in WDW but I just read that the Star Wars stage show is coming back November 18th. Might be something you like since you enjoyed the other stuff.

Glad to see you’ve had such good luck with same day fastpasses. That gives me hope for my solo trip coming up that I’ll be able to squeeze a lot in. Enjoy!

 

[SWReynolds7]

Is this the mobile ordering I've been reading about? Is it on the MDE app? TIA!

Yep. It's the third icon in the second section down the homepage of the app.

 

[DisneyBelle27]

Glad you're having a great solo trip! It reminded me of my very first solo trip anywhere, back in 2005, which was to WDW and was a Happy Divorce To Me present, lol. It's a great excuse to treat yourself to some "you" time. Hope the rest of your trip goes really well!

 

[SWReynolds7]

Well, I sure had an epic end to a 4 day, 4 park run.

Day 4 @ Animal Kingdom:

- One special early morning treat at the tap-styles, was that I checked the app and there was a FP+ for FoP at 6pm tonight (woohoo!). So I nabbed that of course.
- Rope dropped Flight of Passage (which was like a religious experience for me, more on that later). This was about as orderly as Magic Kingdom rope drop. There were, however, a bunch of people running between the tap styles and the bridge into Pandora; not enough cast members to slow them down I guess. That being said I was still only 4-5 rows back and on the right side of the bridge, so when we got to the actual queue, I was probably in the 2nd or 3rd group. I got out of FoP at 8:55, still before park opens.
- I hopped over to Navi River, because why not, and it said 20 minutes standby. Ended up being 6 or 7 minutes. I guess not many people rope drop that one anymore.
- Killed some time exploring Pandora and Africa while awaiting my Safari FP. By the way, the initial FoP rope drop crowd was backed up basically to the west side entrance to Africa.
- The Safari was pretty good, it was morning and still semi-cool out, so we saw a good deal of animals, there was only one area our guide said she couldn't see anything.
- Took a trip over to Asia and went down Kali river, and got soaked on one side of my body, twice for some reason, only on that side.
- Hit Expedition Everest single rider line again like yesterday, still only a 7-10 minute wait. This one was more enjoyable the second time around knowing we were going to hit the hard reverse.
- By now it was getting close to 11 and I wanted to eat at Satu'li in Pandora so I made my way back there. Was very yummy and Pandora-y, even the dessert.
- Throughout the day I had been glancing at the phone looking at FoP wait times, and around 11:30 it dropped to 65 minutes so I got into the standby queue. Saw a lot more of the cool wait area that we bypassed in the morning. Wait was only about 50 minutes and totally worth it. There weren't many Fast Passes I guess because the line basically moved the whole time up to the Avatar tank/lab area. Oddly enough, the video was a bit longer in the first chamber compared to rope drop. We got decontaminated, and then there was this rebooting thing (I'm guessing these are time wasters for if the crowd in front is a little slower).
- By now I wanted to head back to the Hotel for some R&R before my 6pm FoP Fast Pass.
- Went back to the park and made it to see the tree light up, then headed over to Pandora. They did a really good job of Pandora at night. My one small gripe is that they didn't quite get the bio-luminescence of the water (something like this: https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2615/4115273209_78465ff862_b.jpg). I mean, the land is a home run, but with so many water areas if they would have nailed that it would have been even better.
- Capped my night with my 3rd ride of the day on my banshee in FoP thanks to that lucky FP+ at the beginning of the day.

So Flight of Passage...How do I say this....This ride was the most amazing experience for me. Being a huge Avatar fan, and thinking Jake getting to ride a Banshee was one of the coolest parts of the movie, and then I basically get to do that. It was very emotional, I was surprised. They really nailed this ride. You must ride this if you haven't, it's so amazing. Even if you aren't a fan of the movie you'll get sucked in immediately. I will personally remember this ride until the day I die.
What's also great is how they will be able to update this, or expand and do an underwater version or something similar after the next movie comes out.

So after 4 days I've basically done all the rides I wanted to at least once at Disney. I do want to do a day or two of go-backs (but would prefer if FPs are available). I've got some Universal tickets, don't know if I'll start that tomorrow or take a rest day after all the madness since Sunday.