You won't believe my all-new, super-controversial, click-baiting approach to WDW planning

I hadn’t heard about them before you mentioned it, but then I saw the same thing when i logged in today! Oh well, it’s still going to look cool in person. And I’ll probably forget by the time I go.

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We really enjoyed the Indiana Jones ride. Wish it were in FL.

Pirates of the Caribbean has a different beginning in CA than in FL. It was great until they put in a restaurant and nearly ruined the effect.

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Yes. You’d think someone at Disney knowing how guests refer to attractions would have checked the initials before officially naming the attraction.

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It could be worse. I went to school with someone who had the same initials.

My grandmother as well - if she used her middle name, Serena. She always used her maiden name’s initial so she could write AJS.

My husband tells about a shipmate in the navy with the last name of Orr. Always claimed his parents didn’t give him a name, just initials - W. H.

Great post, Thank you for reminding me. Now of for my 6th trip from the uk and had started to anx about the new experiences, watching the blogs and vlogs, but you’re right. I haven’t needed these experiences in the past they simply weren’t there. In fact since our last visit we have toy story land to enjoy. Also mickeys railway. We missed a year in 2019 to go to Tokyo

Thanks again

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Ah, I did not get this either. I usually see that one as PPF Peter Pan’s Flight.

Does Touring Plans have an acronym page? This one seems incomplete.

My wife would totally be onboard with this proposal. Not me! I have to experience the newest attraction with the best touring method. We only go every five years or so.

I wouldn’t know where to find it. @PrincipalTinker or @missoverexcited may know.

No it doesn’t as far as I know. I think AllEars has one.

# Common Disney Abbreviations and Acronyms

I think I need to embrace this attitude. I am trying to plan a summer trip for my niece’s graduation, which will be only 3 full park days. It will be impossible to do everything we all want to do, so I’ll focus on what she will like (coasters and drop rides) and plan to sit out the things I can’t handle myself (coasters and drop rides). If we manage to ride the new stuff, great! If we don’t, she’ll still have a great time.

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TP doesn’t have one but we do! (Link) It hasn’t been updated in a while but you can find most of the commonly used ones.

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I like ASS

ETA: that sounds much worse than intended, I like the abbreviation ASS :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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No editing allowed. You said it, so own it. Quoted here to preserve forever. :rofl:

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:joy::joy::joy:

Cultural reference explained: Veruka Salt is the spoiled little girl in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory who is constantly throwing tantrums. See the Gene Wilder version - it is deservedly a classic. Or read the Raoul Dahl book.

I really appreciate the sentiments of the initial post here. I’m a first-time WDW trip planner, and I’m not sure when we will come back. It’s so easy to fall into FOMO. I’ve overpacked our TPs with the notion we will not hit it all and will be majorly flexible. But when it comes to HS specifically, I’m struggling. There is something there for everyone in our group from the shows for the young kiddos to Galaxy’s Edge. Prioritizing has been difficult. So this post has helped me re-frame my mentality from “How do we do it all?” to “How awesome there are so many good things to do to fill our time there. The options are abundant!”

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I remember going to Disney back in the day… people say it wasn’t crowded, but as a girl going in peak summer with parents who never heard of the Unofficial Guide, 2 hour waits were the norm for many rides. Going to Magic Kingdom on Christmas day at 16? I remember clutching onto my brother and boyfriend for dear life because walking anywhere in the park, you literally had people touching you in front and back as people pressed their way forward, and they would separate you without a thought. This was all before paper fastpasses were even a thing. 4 hour waits for anything remotely interesting to a teenager, and 2 hour waits for everything else.

But you know what? We had a great time anyways. As teenagers we were going to be hanging out and talking somewhere. Why not in a ride line that actually gave us something fun at the end? And the people watching was epic.

That’s why people wait in long ride lines. They aren’t looking to ride everything in the park. Lines give families plenty of time to talk, or at least an excuse to play on a smartphone without your parent complaining about how much time you have your nose in the phone. Themed ride lines can give great selfie ops to make you feel cool and get some likes.

Now, for a mom with young kids, half of whom don’t even meet the height requirements for most rides, and 2 of whom have some special needs, well, we went to Universal last year. Onsite mid Novemeber meant we didn’t wait for more than 5-10 minutes max for a ride with a touring plan and their unlimited fastpass you get at the hotel. I didn’t even need any accommodations for my kids. My 4 kids got wands and robes and actually believed they were casting spells and felt part of the magic. Not many rides for the 1 year old, though. Disney definitely has that on Universal.

But I did all 4 parks and EVERY ride in 4 days with a touring plan a few years back with my oldest child during a mid May visit (did not bother with meet and greets, but did drag husband and son to 4 days of character breakfasts including Cinderella’s Royal Table and Akershus). We waited maybe 20 minutes max, mostly less than 10 minutes. I think we were in line for Test Track for 30 because it shut down, but luckily we were far enough along that we got a pass to come back.

Now Star Wars Land is a little outrageous right now. My husband really wants to book the hotel when it becomes available. I figure that will get us all the Star Wars experience we need. Also, I am thinking of a longer stay. Adding up to 10 days on a pass doesn’t cost that much more, and then we can get more flexibility for fastpasses for tier 1 rides. I figure early morning in the park, and then pool and fun. We’ll do fireworks in the evening. You know, actually maybe chill a bit on vacation. This coming from a mom who rides EVERY ride in a park at least once in a day… but I can do that even while going back for an afternoon nap, so Disney still isn’t the horrendous beast it was before ANYONE had a fastpass during peak season.

My recommendation- plan 2 days in DHS. Arrive an hour before park opening to DHS (just like Touringplans suggests), get everyone scanned in by 8am opening. Have party members work to get a boarding group, and then ride Tower of Terror, Rockin Rollercoaster, and all the small rides while thousands rope drop the 3 new rides. Work the release batches for more fastpasses. Hopefully you are staying on property, so you have a tier 1 fastpass to a major ride each of the 2 days. If not, well you could people watch in line and enjoy time with the family or accept that you just weren’t willing to pay to play for a short wait. While my parents didn’t use touring plans, they did have these super compact tripod chairs, so we got to take turns sitting and taking a break in line. The lines really moved that slowly back then… we didn’t have to move that often…

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I’m pretty sure I’ll have a good trip, this will be the first time it’s just DH & I. However, the thing that gets me annoyed about ROTR is that even if I’m the first person to arrive at DHS, I still may not get a BG because I quite frankly I’m not that good at it (I’ve done a little practicing) - and that’s what stinks. And then because everyone had to be there to attempt to get said BG, now they’ve ruined Rope Drop. So yeah I’ll have a good time, but if we didn’t have to go through this crap it would have been better.
#firstworldproblems

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