Our Top Tips for Your 2023 Disney World Vacation
If you’re planning on visiting Disney World in 2023, you have a lot to look forward to! 2023 will be bringing in all new shows, dining, and of course new attractions! But anyone that has been to Disney World knows that planning a visit can be very overwhelming, especial if it’s your first visit! So in order to help you and your travel party experience the most magical stay possible, we created our list of top 10 tips! Let's review:
Learn how to use the My Disney Experience App(MDE) and the Genie Plus Paid Feature
This is hands down on of the most important things to know about before arriving to Disney World. Using the My Disney Experience App has always been a handy tool with visiting the park, but with in the past few years it has become a must know. You will use this app to link your reservation, make park reservations, check in to your hotel, mobile order your food, lock in Genie+ return times and so much more!
We know how important it is to feel comfortable with this app prior to you visit, that why we offer our clients free app training! We take our clients step by step learning all of the features this app has to offer via a one hour zoom meeting. Trying to learn this information while in the park can make you miss out on hard to get Genie+ return times and it can be very frustrating. Know before you go!
What’s the Genie+ Feature you may ask?
Well, this is the newest feature in the MDE app that allow guest access to Lightning Lanes to over 40 different attractions through out all four parks. Lightning Lanes allow guest to skip the stand by queue and join a much short line. Sounds easy right? Well, there’s several very important thing you need to know about this system.
The price will range between $15-$30 dollars per person per day plus tax
You do not automatically have access to the rides. You will need to use the app to select return times to ride attractions. Return times are first come first serve, and availability is limited. Meaning the popular ride go very quickly. You cannot pick the time you return, however sometimes if you refresh the page new times will appear and you can modify your Lightning Lane. Modifying will not reset the 120 minute rule.
All guest can make their first genie+ selection starting at 7AM. Like mention before, if you do not know how to use this system you will miss out on the hard to get attractions.
There is a 120 minute waiting period if you return time is further out that 2 hours. For example: you get a return time for Peter Pan’s Flight for 6PM at 9AM. You can make your next return time at 11am. If you are not sure when you can make your next Lightning Lane selection, you can find a helpful little banner on the top of the Genie+ Feature screen on the app. If your return time is sooner, you can make your next selection after you scan into ride your attraction, or cancel your current selection.
The most popular rides are not included in Genie+ and are Individual Attraction Selections(IAS). These rides include: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Rise of the Resistance, and Flight of Passage. IAS cost $7-$30 per person per attraction plus tax. Guest can only make to IAS purchase per day. Unlike Genie+, you can chooses the time you would like to return to ride. After you purchase, you cannot modify or get a refund. If the attraction breaks down, you will be issued a new time once the ride is operational. If the attraction closes completely, Disney will reimburse you your payment.
I know, it’s a lot to remember! We recommend doing research on this system as much as possible before you arrive. We highly recommend Molly from Mammoth Club! You can find several videos on YouTube of her explaining the system and showing you how to use the system while in the parks! We have her newest Genie+ video link above. Check her out!
Know Which Rides Require a Virtual Queue Return Time
Imagine being super excited to ride Disney’s newest attraction, and fining out that you can’t ride because you didn't get a Virtual Queue return time early in the morning, and now they’re out of availability. Talk about disappointment! Currently in order to ride EPCOT’s newest attraction Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind guest will need to have either a Virtual Queue return time, or purchase and Individual Attraction Selection. The Virtual Queues open at 7am to resort guest, and at park opening for non-resort guest. Once Magic Kingdom’s TRON Legacy coaster opens, we expect this ride to be a virtual queue as well.
Know that some of these attraction will go fast, we mean with in seconds. So be up logged in and ready to go at 7am! If you’re one of the luck few that get an IAS, SCREEN SHOT YOUR CONFIRMATION! You will want to monitor your return time, sometimes delays can happen.
Know Which Rides Will be Closed
To help save you from another disappointment, checking the refurbishment calendar before your visit can help you manage your expectations and plan your must dos. For some guest, riding a certain attraction can make or break their stay! I’ve been told stories of parents hyping up their kids about certain rides for months, only to arrive and discover that the ride is closed. And of course the child get really let down. Don't let this happen to you!
Make your Park Reservations ASAP!
You’ve booked your resort, purchased your park tickets and now you’re ready to go right!? WRONG! Having a park ticket does not allow you access to the theme parks. Guest must make park reservations as well as purchasing park tickets to be allowed entry. We recommend that you make your park reservations ASAP. Parks availability is limited, and reservation do meet capacity. Because this is such an important step, we make all of the park reservations for our clients so they do not have to worry about this extra step.
To make your park reservations, you will need to be logged on to your Disney account, we recommend doing this on a web browser, and going to the my plans section. Once there follow the step listed.
Know About the Park Hopping Rules
If you and your travel party are looking to visit multiple parks per day you will need to purchase the Park Hopper Ticket Add-on. Once upon a time, guest could park hop whenever they wanted. Now guest can only park hop after 2PM. Guest will still need a park reservation for their first park, currently no reservation is needed for the second park they visit. Something important to know, park hopping is subject to park capacity limitations. For guest traveling durning peak season, like Christmas and new years, you may run into the issue of being denied entry, even with the park hopper.
Book Your Stay With Wave of the Wand Travel
Booking with a travel agency that specializes in Disney and Universal Destinations can make all the difference in the world. Universal Studios and The Walt Disney Company has created incredible vacation destinations, but the planning process overwhelms many visitors.
Not only do we help our client’s save money with special offers and packages, we assist our clients every step of the way. There are several step to booking a visit to the parks, some could be a costly mistake if forgotten about! Our Travel Advisor keeps our clients informed on park news and update, and is always available to answer client questions. When you work with us you won't need to wait on hold with a call center to get your questions answered. Simply shoot us a message, or give us a call and we will answer your questions. View our service to learn more about how we bring magic to your vacation.
Will I pay more if I book through an agent?
Unlike some travel agencies, we do not charge our clients any fees, and we do not require a minimum package purchase price. All of our services are 100% free and no cost to you. We want you to save money on your vacation, not spend more.
How can we afford not to charge fees? When you book directly with companies like Walt Disney World and Universal, you are paying the travel planning fee without receiving the benefit of having a personal travel planner. This is one of the several reason why using a Travel Agent is a wise choice, you’re already paying for the service, get the most our of your money!
Our Travel Advisor Angel Sheriff is a Certified Travel Advisor through the ASTA affiliated COV Travel Program, and IATA accredited Travel Agent. Find out what magic she can bring to your stay!
