November trip

[Mom to a Princess and a Prince]

After a long hiatus, DH and I are finally returning to DW. I am definitely way more excited for this trip then he is so I’m trying to make it as smooth as possible. Since we haven’t been there in so long, I’m basically a rookie in planning.

I’m figuring out that things are very different since our last trip. I understand that ME no longer handles the bags so if I understand correctly, at the airport, we pick up our bags and take them to ME. Also, no more fast passes. AND last but definitely not least, I have to “reserve” our spot in the park each day. How does park hopping work?

Am I missing anything? Any other big planning obstacles that I haven’t figured out yet?

Thank you!

[lindique]

If you have park hopper tickets, you may "hop" after 2:00 pm each day.

[PopPhan]

Correct that DME service no longer has the BAGS, Inc. portion, so you will need to get your own bags and take them to the bus. (Luckily, you are arriving before the DME goes away altogether as of Jan. 1, 2022)

FP/FP+ has gone away, but there is a new service - Genie+ that allows you the same service as the original FP service did....but at a cost of $15/person/day. With Genie+ you can get a Lightning Lane slot (just like the original FP.) You get one at a time, but can book your next one as soon as you use your current one. These are all "day of" selections. There will also be an Individual Attraction Selection that can be used twice per day s a 'pay to ride' option. This will be available for the most popular attractions (Think Flight of Passage, rise of the Resistance, etc.) Prices per attraction have not been released yet.

Disney is continuing the 'park reservation' system into the foreseeable future. You will need to reserve your daily 'primary' park ASAP. If you have a 'hopper' ticket, you can hop to any of the remaining parks, after 2pm, without a reservation. You MUST, however, have entered your 'primary' park on that day.

For meals, Mobile Order is becoming the rule. Use the MDE app to order ahead of time and pick up when you arrive (give or take 15 minutes...LOL) Basically, you put in your order, tell them when you have arrived and wait until they let you know your order is ready. Some, if not most, table service restaurants are back on the ADR list, so you can book them 60 days prior to arrival.

Maybe a bit more planning - before you arrive and daily - but you can make it as painful or enjoyable as you want. It's up to you.

Enjoy your trip!

[Mom to a Princess and a Prince]

This is such great information!! Thank you so much for taking the time!