Things Disney Offers But Doesn't Advertise (New)

Our family loves to collect the transportation cards. Many of the monorail drivers, bus drivers and boat captains carry them. You just have to ask them and often they'll pull one out with a smile. It's a wonderful little bit of pixie dust.
I think my son would love this, thanks for the tip! Do the Magical Express driver carry them too, do you know?

I'm loving all of these magical stories. They just confirm why we spend thousands of dollars to visit Disney. The customer service is really top notch.
 
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so to clarify - we played in August 2016 and our next trip is November 2017. Kids want to play again and help friends traveling with us get started as well. So in order to get their first cards on the first night we're there (MVMCP on Nov 14) they have to use their existing cards to play a portal and then go back to Town Center to get a new pack and to get friends set up?
TIA

As it will be your first day back at MK you can go to the Fire House Station and get a new portal key and pack of cards. Then you need to play game in order to get more cards the next day or during that week. Your friends will also need to sign up at Fire House to get their magic band linked and portal key and cards.

If you are there for party (MNSSHP or MVMCP) you will also get a special party card for each member of family that checks in at Fire Station (after 5pm I think).
 
As it will be your first day back at MK you can go to the Fire House Station and get a new portal key and pack of cards. Then you need to play game in order to get more cards the next day or during that week. Your friends will also need to sign up at Fire House to get their magic band linked and portal key and cards.

If you are there for party (MNSSHP or MVMCP) you will also get a special party card for each member of family that checks in at Fire Station (after 5pm I think).
awesome! thank you. we'll plan on heading back up there later in the evening :)
 


The last time we went to WDW my DDs were 5. We were able to ride in the front of the monorail from MK to the Grand Floridian one afternoon. I am sorry that you can no longer do so. It was such a precious memory.

WHAT?? When did this stop?? My boys loved getting their "mono-rail driver's licenses"........was hoping to redo this during our trip in August. :sad2:
 
WHAT?? When did this stop?? My boys loved getting their "mono-rail driver's licenses"........was hoping to redo this during our trip in August. :sad2:

I can't remember the exact date, maybe around 2011? It was after a CM was killed in an accident on the monorail that they decided it was too much of a safety hazard to let guests up front.
 
In pirates of the Caribbean gift shop they had a question of the day at the counter if you answered it right u got to pick something out of the treasure box
If your the first person in the gift shop you get to use a wand and set tinker bell free for the day
Don't forget all the free buttons at GS Birthday first visit ect
The part about tinker bell, is is at the gift shop behind Cinderella Castle? If so, this has ended, or at least had as of my last trip.
 


At the Boardwalk, in Community Hall, you can paint various ceramic items, and the cost is very reasonable. $5-15. They provide everything and will fire the pottery in the evening. You pick it up the next day.
 
If your child loses a toy or souvenir you purchased, or a balloon pops, etc. ask any CM and they will replace it for free. Once there was this little kid who dropped his Mickey just as the parade was ending, and someone in an ECV ran over him, and partially tore his leg off. The poor kid was mortified, and inconsolable. A CM stepped in and ran Mickey to the First Aid Station. A while later she returned with Mickey in bandages and a hospital gown. We ran into the family again later on, and the mom told me they gave the boy instructions for Mickey's care, and told him to remove the bandages when he got home, and Mickey should be "better" by then. Mom said they switched the broken one with a new one. I just about cried, my heart was so touched by the magic.

Stories like these are great and Disney does a wonderful job with "pixie dust". But please don't go in expecting it! They're not obliged to replace any lost toy or fix something that was carelessly broken. Can you imagine how many "lost" souvenirs there would be if people thought they could get anything replaced?! If a CM sees something like this happen, they'll definitely step in and help. If you go up asking for a replacement for something you say was lost, don't count on it!
 
One thing we got once that Disney does not advertise, is a hurricane rate at the Resorts.

We were in Disney World at Pop Century when hurricane Sandy hit New York. We weren't able to go back home to NYC so we had to stay in Disney World. Of course if you get stuck anywhere in the world Disney World is the place to be. We got a hurricane rate and we ended up staying another five days! We got to spend two more days of the parks, a couple of days at the pool, and another day at Downtown Disney.

You do have to show proof that your flight was canceled.

Of course we did go home to a mess, but like I said there could be worse things than getting stuck at Disney World.
 
Has anyone mentioned the great activities at Animal Kingdom Lodge that the kids can do to earn beads for their "String of Memories"?? It's a really cool thing and i don't think any other resorts do anything like it!!
It's all free!!String of Memories michelle4.jpgString-of-Memories.jpg
 
Sorry if some of these have already been mentioned (I may have missed them as I read through), these are the resorts I know the most...

AKL has a ton of cultural type activities; group drumming just off the main lobby (always welcome to join in), scheduled animal exhibit (e.g. examples of animal poop - kids like that), the floor rubbings, I think there is a daily drumming parade for kids to join in the lobby, I've seen characters come in every few hours for meet and greet, there is free daily cookie decorating in the at Boma, free daily mini-cake decorating at Sanaa, the KING PIN at Zawadi Marketplace will trade pins with you (fun guy), movies by the pool, campfire stories & smores.

WL - A guided tour of the Wilderness Lodge, watch the geyser go off, cookie decorating at Roaring Forks, watch the Electric Water Pageant, hidden mickeys search - i think the check in cast members have a hidden mickey hunt sheet you can ask for,
 
At MK, we went to the barber shop and I paid to have my hair painted and glittered. They asked my DH if he wanted to do it, too, and he declined, but they offered him free "fairy dust." I think anyone can get free fairy dust, and you do not need an appointment. We had a short wait, but we went first thing. It might be a nice alternative if the BBB is too pricey for your family. Also, I like to watch the water electrical parade and the fireworks from the beach at the Poly. Grab a Dole Whip and kick back for a great show. Music is piped in, too.

It's also fun to tour the resorts. We particularly enjoyed AK with all the free range animals.

If your child loses a toy or souvenir you purchased, or a balloon pops, etc. ask any CM and they will replace it for free. Once there was this little kid who dropped his Mickey just as the parade was ending, and someone in an ECV ran over him, and partially tore his leg off. The poor kid was mortified, and inconsolable. A CM stepped in and ran Mickey to the First Aid Station. A while later she returned with Mickey in bandages and a hospital gown. We ran into the family again later on, and the mom told me they gave the boy instructions for Mickey's care, and told him to remove the bandages when he got home, and Mickey should be "better" by then. Mom said they switched the broken one with a new one. I just about cried, my heart was so touched by the magic.
That brought tears to my eyes. So sweet.
 
Every month, an activity guide is created for each resort. If you go to TheMouseForLess.com then hover over Walt Disney World, hover over Resorts, then click on Resort Guide and Rates, you will see a list of the resorts. Click on a resort then click on Activities to see the current month's activity sheet.
 
Stories like these are great and Disney does a wonderful job with "pixie dust". But please don't go in expecting it! They're not obliged to replace any lost toy or fix something that was carelessly broken. Can you imagine how many "lost" souvenirs there would be if people thought they could get anything replaced?! If a CM sees something like this happen, they'll definitely step in and help. If you go up asking for a replacement for something you say was lost, don't count on it!
That makes perfect sense. I just ***-u-me(d) people would be honest. I for get we cannot count on that any more.
 
On our last trip in 2014, we were at Typhoon Lagoon bright and early. We are morning people, but we also understand the importance of getting an early start. We chatted with the CM at the turnstile and then we eventually made it into the park.

All of a sudden, a CM approached us and asked if we could help with something. Little did we know, DS had been selected to help open the park as the Big Kahuna. We got a backstage tour, DS got a medal to wear that "controlled" the wave pool, and we had a sweet cabana/ private area to enjoy with umbrellas and lounge chairs, right in the middle of the wave pool. All the CM greeted him with a hang ten hand signal and called him the Kahuna. He was in heaven, and the rest of the family was pretty pumped, too!

I have no idea why we were selected. We love chatting up people, so it could have been our conversations with the CM. It could have just been that we were the first family the CM in charge of selecting the Kahuna saw that day. Either way, it's a memory that we will cherish.

Lesson learned: get up early, be friendly.
 
One that is "under-advertised" and great is the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage that departs from CR. It's not free, but worth it. Lots of treats to eat and drink, M&G with Hook, Smee & Peter Pan and relaxing fireworks viewing.
 

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