Me and partner are going to DW for the first time

[SimplySelf]

I’m a longtime lurker in these forums and I’m finally posting because it’s official! My partner and I are going to Disney World for the first time for a week in October. We’re pretty excited and as an avid planner, I am in charge of arrangements. This trip will be a belated honeymoon for us so I really want it to go smoothly. I have a few questions for you guys, and I would really appreciate any answers.

1. Since we are going in October, we saw that MNSSHP is coming back this year. Is it worth it to go as two adults with no kids or would we get more out of going on a day with extended hours instead (we will be staying at a deluxe resort)? They haven’t posted extended evening hours for October yet so I’m just assuming that it‘s a pretty consistent thing.

2. From what I understand, we can get pins that say we are honeymooning? I wasn’t really sure how that works but it sounded like a nice keepsake. Would they be available at our hotel’s front desk?

3. How necessary is it to use Genie+ for each park for faster ride times. I was hoping between extended hours and early rope drop, we could catch several rides at the beginning and ends of our time in the parks. We’re also not too concerned with absolutely maxing out the number of rides we do in a day.

4. Other the the Halloween Party and Food and Wine Festival, are there any other events going in the parks during the second part of October?

Thank you in advance for any responses.

 

[georgina]

Congrats! As someone who has been many times, I find it difficult to advise newbies.

There are buttons that just say 'I'm celebrating' with a space to write in what you are celebrating. I have seen them on entry into the MK, not sure if they are available at the resorts.

Genie + is something you have to decide on based on research. We used it in May only at HS, which had a few issues but worked reasonably well. It could work for you at MK; we were there on a low crowd day and did not use it. At AK, which is a park I love, we rope dropped FOP, then did standby for the Safari and Expedition Everest with no issues. There are very nice trails in Africa (gorillas especially) and Asia (birds and tigers) which you can do at your leisure. The wait for Festival of the Lion King wasn't bad, definitely recommend the show. We skipped Dinosaur last trip, but it usually has a short line. We hopped to Epcot later in the evening, the lines for Soarin and Spaceship Earth were short, but we skipped everything else. Waited in standby line for Remy our last day, so not worth it for us. I thought MMRR at HS was more fun, very similar rides.

Halloween party - I have done it in the past where I waited to meet Jack & Sally from about 4 o'clock, then lined up to meet the Pooh characters at 6:30. The parade is fun, fireworks are unique, I am not that interested in the Sanderson sisters stage show or trick-or-treating personally. I will be going this August (solo) mostly for the rides; it will be my only Disney ticket as I am staying at Universal. You need to decide your priorities as to whether it is worth it.

Can't think of anything else going on other than Food & Wine and MNSSHP, maybe Hoop De Doo revue for an anniversary celebration? For a first trip anything you do will be fun!

 

[Mandy Poppins]

I will give my opinion on Halloween Party. We went with 13-year-old and 16-year-old one year. They ditched us for rides. We enjoyed the atmosphere and LOVED the parade. If it's in the budget, I would go.

Enjoy your trip and planning!

 

[SimplySelf]

Thanks so much for the feedback! I really appreciate hearing about your personal experiences. So many of the major DW blogs have so much information about optimizing everything, so it's nice to get an understanding of a realistic day at the parks. I think we have decided to splurge and go for the Halloween Party based on the novelty and opportunity for fitting in some more rides. I'm definitely looking forward to it.

 

[sipnride]

First off, congratulations! Even if no longer honeymooners, super exciting to have your "honeymoon" at WDW.

Re Genie+ bottom line is this: if you and your spouse will find standing in line enjoyable, exploring and shooting photos of the queues, spending what can be, in its own way, romantic time together while surrounded by strangers, then there's no need for Genie+. But if either of you will hate that experience, or have a relatively low tolerance for it, then get it because you're almost certainly paying a minimum of $25 for every hour of your vacation after you add up air/local tranx, hotel, food, park tickets, etc. If Genie+ saves you from wasting even one of those hours in misery, then it paid for itself. More importantly, if Genie+ allows you to enjoy an attraction you would otherwise miss out on due to line avoidance, then it's a must have. As Rihanna would say, this is what you came for.

As for event listings, I've got a similar post up. A link to wdwent.com was shared with me. From what I can tell it won't help you much with far out planning but it's a great resource as your trip approaches. Also, if you weren't already aware, there's a concert series associated with the F&W festival. Here's a link to the full schedule:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/entertainment/epcot/food-wine-eat-to-the-beat-concerts/

 

[BrianL]

As for the buttons, sometimes they would have them ready for you at the front deks, if you mentioned a celebration when you booked. That is typically if you booked through a phone agent - they would ask, "Are you celebrating anythign special?" I don't really know if they still do as I rarely call the phone agents anymore, but I have had birthday buttons waiting for me at checkin. That said, you can easily obtain one at the guest service locations and write what you want to on them - there are no rules, just whatever you like. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Warriorfish5392]

Congrats!!! Hope your enjoy your trip!! We are taking a similar trip the end of September!! I also am inquiring about the honeymoon pins as I love collecting. I’ve heard Genie+ can be super useful in some cases but a complete waste in others. Hopefully you get all the answers you need before you go and have the most magical vacation!!

 

[jimmymc]

I’m a longtime lurker in these forums and I’m finally posting because it’s official! My partner and I are going to Disney World for the first time for a week in October. We’re pretty excited and as an avid planner, I am in charge of arrangements. This trip will be a belated honeymoon for us so I really want it to go smoothly. I have a few questions for you guys, and I would really appreciate any answers.

1. Since we are going in October, we saw that MNSSHP is coming back this year. Is it worth it to go as two adults with no kids or would we get more out of going on a day with extended hours instead (we will be staying at a deluxe resort)? They haven’t posted extended evening hours for October yet so I’m just assuming that it‘s a pretty consistent thing.

2. From what I understand, we can get pins that say we are honeymooning? I wasn’t really sure how that works but it sounded like a nice keepsake. Would they be available at our hotel’s front desk?

3. How necessary is it to use Genie+ for each park for faster ride times. I was hoping between extended hours and early rope drop, we could catch several rides at the beginning and ends of our time in the parks. We’re also not too concerned with absolutely maxing out the number of rides we do in a day.

4. Other the the Halloween Party and Food and Wine Festival, are there any other events going in the parks during the second part of October?

Thank you in advance for any responses.

1. Why not both? The party is great if you want to see the special fireworks and meet a bunch of characters who don't come out during the regular park day. Extended hours are better for getting on a bunch of attractions.

2. You can get a button at the hotel desk or guest relations in the park.

3. Genie+ is most worth it if you're in the parks from open to close and want to maximize popular rides.

4. Not really. As soon as November 1st hits, the Christmas decorations come out and special nighttime shows start.