2023 Hot Tips Round-Up
And the tip you can skip in 2024!
It’s already the end of the year and that means time to look back on 2023. It is such a privilege to be part of your vacations, and I truly hope that something you’ve read here has helped improve your adventures out there in the world.
Now that this newsletter is hosted at Substack.com, I get to see which posts resonate the most with you guys. So for 2023, these are the topics that rose to the top.
What would you rank as the top theme park tip of the year? Give it a shout-out in the comments!
Go Informed top tips in 2023
Paying to skip the line
This year’s top post was all about whether it’s worth it to pay for Disney’s Genie+ and Universal’s Express Pass. The simple answer is “it depends” 😉 Here’s the scoop:
You can get two rope drops on the same day
Rope drop is when the park opens and you can be first on your favorite ride. If you have early park admission, you can actually score TWO rope drops on the same morning. Here’s how I do it:
How to mess up your theme park morning
Sometimes the best advice you can get is finding out what NOT to do. Actually, it’s the root of pretty much everything I share here - I learned it the hard way so you don’t have to.
There’s two main things you can do wrong in the morning. Be late or be lost. And it’s super-easy to do both. Here’s how to avoid this:
Halloween at Disneyland
Halloween at Disneyland is arguably the most magical time of year. From ride overlays to special character greetings, spooky snacks, and parties, your park ticket goes a long way in September and October. Here’s why you should consider a visit next fall:
Do you need a park reservation?
Not if you’re going to Disney World in 2024! (Or Universal)
For the last few years, my top advice for any Disney traveler has been to make your park reservations early. Ever since re-opening, the parks have required all guests to pre-select a starting park for every day of their trip. This has been true in both Orlando and Anaheim.
If your destination is Disney World, you can cast off those shackles - beginning January 9, 2024, Disney World will no longer require park reservations. Just show up at whichever place you want to start your day.
Alas, Disneyland is continuing it’s reservation policy, so if you’re off to California, be sure to know how it works. Here are my tips:
Going to a Universal park? Good news: park reservations have never been required at Universal Hollywood or Universal Orlando!