Amanda G's Vacations

31/05/2023

2024 Disney bookings now available!! Hit me up for some no-obligation quotes!!

08/05/2023

BIG changes coming for those planning 2024 and beyond trips!

Things are about to get a whole lot easier and a whole lot more fun. Oh yeah, and dining plans are coming back!!

26/03/2022

Love the chance to get my name out there while promoting a good cause! ♥️

23/02/2022

Happy to announce that MouseCounselors is now booking The Sunshine Flyer! Let me know if you want to add transportation to your next Walt Disney World Resort vacation!

15/01/2022

I love Figment. I really do. But this is dumb, y'all

https://wdwnt.com/2022/01/seven-hour-wait-for-pop-eats-figment-popcorn-bucket-debuts-at-the-2022-epcot-international-festival-of-the-arts-more-daily-recap-1-14-22/

We've rounded up today's stories for you all in one place. Here's everything from Friday, January 14, 2022.

07/12/2021

With all of the new offerings at Disney World here at the end of 2021 - 50th anniversary! Genie+! Lightning Lanes! - I wanted to be able to give my clients and followers some first hand reporting. So off we headed to WDW for a one-day-only experiment last week. We were at Hollywood Studios from open to close on Thursday the 2nd. In our group were regulars (us) and guests who had been previously, but it had been a while. Four adults and two kids total, staying at a Good Neighbor hotel near Disney Springs.

Did we use Genie+?

Sure did! Everyone in our group purchased Genie+ for our day about a month before our visit. Contrary to the official Disney PR spiel, I did not find it particularly easy to navigate my way to finding the pathway through the app to buy the service, and I have heard from other users that they had the same experience. Once I did find it, though, it was easy enough to set up.

We also had a hard time linking our group together through the Genie+ main screen. We fixed this on site by speaking with a Cast Member at one of the many “Guest Services” kiosks set up through the park.

How was the Lightning Lane experience?

The LL experience included with the purchase of Genie+ worked very much like a mix of legacy FastPass and FastPass+. You are able to choose one LL to use at a time, and are able to select another one after you’ve checked into the attraction of your original LL or 2 hours after your previous selection, whichever comes first.

I liked it in as much as I have ever liked Fast Pass systems. You can never beat the feeling of walking right in to an attraction which has a 60+ minute wait in the Stand By line. It does feel a little sad knowing this used to be included in park admission, but I’m a realist and I accept that there’s money to be made here. I did notice that the Lightning Lane waits seemed shorter overall than the previous FastPass waits, so that gets a gold star.

What I didn’t like, though, was the constant need for us all to be glued to our phones. Like many people, I love WDW as a BREAK from reality, and I use it as a time to connect with my friends and family who are accompanying me. (I have even in the past issued a ban on cell phones in the parks for my group, but that’s another story.) With Genie+ you have no choice but to be on your app, constantly updating and checking to see what’s available. I did not like this aspect one bit.

We also had a tough time getting Lightning Lanes for the attractions we wanted - some were completely unavailable by the time we even arrived at the park. I understand that purchasing Genie+ doesn’t guarantee you will get LL for any particular attraction, but it still stung.

Did we utilize the paid Lightning Lane option for attractions not included in Genie+?

That was the plan. We intended to purchase individual Lightning Lane passes to Rise of the Resistance, but they were completely sold out before our 8:30am arrival. Presumably the folks who were staying on-site grabbed them all up by the time their window opened at 7:00am. For the full picture, the crowd level at Hollywood Studios on the day of our visit was estimated to be 4/10. Granted, RotR is about the most in demand attraction at WDW right now, but based on our limited experience trying to get an individual paid Lightning Lane pass is going to be competitive across the board. On the plus side, we jumped in the stand by line for the other paid LL at Hollywood Studios - Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railroad - at rope drop and were on within 20 minutes. Stand by was also listed at about 30 minutes for that one at the end of the night.

So the short answer is no, we did not end up utilizing paid Lightning Lanes.

Do Genie+ and Lightning Lanes work with Magic Bands?

YES and OMG please bring/get a Magic Band. One group in our party had our MBs and the other group used the app to check-in at Lightning Lanes. It worked, but was way slower and much more hassle than just tapping an MB at the entrance. I’m sure this will change over time, but for now if you have a Magic Band make sure it is attached to your Disney app account and plan on having it with you.

What’s new for WDW’s 50th anniversary?

We saw a lot of merchandise, but I think the bulk of the “celebration” is over at Magic Kingdom. Still, I definitely bought a new sweatshirt!

And in closing…

At the end of the day, I would like to think that Genie+ will see some updates and improvements over the next year, but I have no doubt that it’s here to stay in one form or another. In the meantime, I’m happy to help all of my clients use it to your best advantage.

Anything else?

Yep. I’d be remiss if I didn’t add a note about our experience trying to get into Gideon’s at Disney Springs. If you aren’t aware, Gideon’s is a cookie shop that sells human-head-sized cookies that look, smell, and (I assume) taste like heaven. Due to demand you can not simply walk up and shop there, or even walk up and wait in line.

They have a virtual queue, and unlike other Disney-run attractions where you can join the virtual queue in your app, with Gideon’s you have to physically go to the shop and staff outside will add you to their system. Once it’s your turn you will get a text to let you know. If you plan on trying to score some Gideon’s goodness, I advise you to go straight there upon arrival at Disney Springs. On Friday the virtual queue was 2 hours long. On Saturday it was 4.5. You want that cookie? You’re going to have to make it a priority!

As always, I’m happy to answer any questions you have about planning for a Walt Disney World (or Disneyland, or Disney Cruise Line!) vacation. Just send me a message through here, or you can email me at [email protected]

I look forward to helping you see the World!

02/12/2021

My son says POG juice at Boma is "happiness in a cup". He's not wrong, but I'm going to add zebra domes to the list, too!!

01/10/2021

50 years ago today Walt Disney World resort opened in Florida. Over the next 18 months there will be all kinds of celebrations in all four parks and throughout the resort to mark the occasion. If you're considering heading down to check out these limited-time offerings, let me know how I can help!

30/09/2021

WHO'S READY?!?

https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-star-wars-galactic-starcruiser-hotel-booking-heres-how-2021-9

Disney's Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel starts taking bookings in October, and stays begin in March. Its cheapest package is as much as $6,000.

22/09/2021

Disney: make friends, eat churros, but don't buy the bubble wands!

17/08/2021

Hello Disney fans! A quick request to any of y'all who have used me in the past to plan your vacations (WDW, DLR, DCL, or Universal!) - if you could post a review I would greatly appreciate it! ♥️♥️

13/08/2021

Friendly reminder that the fee for my planning services is nothing. Zilch. Zero dollars. No dinero. Pas de argent. In many cases I can save you money over what you would pay on your own.

Thanks. Good talk!

04/08/2021

You may have seen that Disney released "sample pricing" for the new Galactic Starcruiser Resort experience, opening some time in 2022. The bad (but not at all surprising) news is that it is VERY expensive. The good news is that with only about 100 guest rooms, you're going to have a long time to wait and save up!

And by "you" I mean me. I'm definitely going. Who's in?!

22/06/2021

Who's excited?!

08/06/2021

I'M SO EXCITED!!

04/05/2021

13/02/2021

01/12/2020

On the scene coverage of WDW during 2020 coming soon!!

06/10/2020

Quick update all! Disney World is open and operating, although not quite "as normal". There are few shows, no parades, and no fireworks at the moment. Basically, anything that would cause crowd congestion is not happening! Social distancing is being enforced on rides and around the parks, and masks are required unless you are sitting down eating.

So should you go? Of course there is no clear cut answer to that. If this would be your first trip, or your "once in a lifetime dream" trip, then I would absolutely recommend waiting.

Are you a frequent or semi-frequent Disney visitor? Then you might want to consider it. Some days are reporting very low attendance, and there are some great deals on hotels at the moment.

Of course, this is all contingent on your personal feelings of safety, etc.. I am happy to help answer any questions or help you hash out if now is the right time for you to plan a trip. Let me know!!

08/04/2020

https://touringplans.com/blog/2020/04/08/planning-a-walt-disney-world-vacation-in-a-time-of-uncertainty/

Is planning a trip to Walt Disney World in 2020 worth it at this point? I share my own personal experience with planing a trip in this time of uncertainty.

26/03/2020

Is anyone else missing Jungle Cruise while Disney parks are closed? YouTube's got you covered!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYxgON84SOo&feature=youtu.be

With Disney parks closed and social distancing in force, real Jungle Cruise Skippers, past and present, come together in a spieling super-cut like you'd neve...

25/02/2020

Summer 2021 itineraries are here!! Who wants to go on a cruise?? Spoiler - it's me. Is it you, too?

03/02/2020

Mahomes is going to Disney World! Would you like to go, too? I can help!! 😂

04/01/2020

Thinking about a 2020 Walt Disney World Trip? There is a VERY limited Free Dining offer currently available for Summer and early Fall arrivals! Please reach out for planning info now, as this one is going to go FAST!

03/12/2019

Celebrate Travel Tuesday by planning the Disney vacation of your dreams!

26/11/2019

Tom Bricker over at Disney Tourist Blog is one of my FAVORITE sources of Disney information and ideas. This post about going child-free at WDW is full of amazingness.

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-world-adults-only-tips/

If visiting Walt Disney World without kids, there are lots of romantic and experiences geared for adults. Disney is a popular honeymoon spot for couples, and how to do Disney for adults should be a topic of interest for these couples looking for a romantic experience.

19/11/2019

If you think you've been to Disney World and seen and done it all, well guess what? NEW STUFF IS ALWAYS COMING!! Really excited about this next year:

27/10/2019

30 minutes until the start of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and things are getting... spooky