Questions from a first timer!

[Tink86]

Evening 😊

A few questions that I’m getting conflicting advice on!

Ok so we have booked with Virgin for the enclave suites on IDrive for November this year 14 nights/car hire/14 day Disney tickets.
We have also booked 1 night in CBR via Disney as a treat as we couldn’t afford to stay the whole 14 days on site, plus we can take advantage of the magic hours, magic bands etc.
This is our first (and maybe only) time at Disney so we want to make sure we know what’s what!

(Virgin can’t (won’t &#128530 book under 3 days for onsite. )

Ok so for the questions... sorry it’s long!

1) Will virgin email our Disney tickets or post them? I’m assuming that when we get them, we link to MDE?

2) I’m assuming we won’t get fast passes for 60 days for the 2 days we are staying at CBR as the tickets haven’t been brought via Disney?

3) As we are staying off site, Our fast pass day is 4th October, Will we be able to do the whole trip in one day or will it be 4/10 for the 3/11, the 5/10 for the 4/11 and so on etc?

4) Does anyone know if the hours mirror the previous years? As I’ve looked at last Nov (2019) and the magic hours for the days the same week this year (not dates) are Epcot EEH and magic kingdom EEH the next evening.

5) Assuming there is evening hours on our departing day from CBR, can we still use the hotel facilities and the magic hours in the park until midnight as that’s check out day?

6) In regards to car parking, on the morning of check in, we just drive to CBR, check in, they’ll give us our magic bands, then we can go off until the room is ready? When will we have to pay for the car park? Am I right in saying its $15 or $20 for that hotel?

7) Once we are back off site, we will obviously be driving to and from the parks. We pay $25 parking per day - can we use the Disney transport to park hop? As in magic kingdom- Skyliner - Epcot? Or Epcot - monorail - magic kingdom?

8) Also (sorry if this is boring!) me and my husband will be sharing the driving - I’ve never driven abroad so am slightly worried! Is it daunting or not that different to the U.K.?

9) LASTLY (lol) would you recommend doing universal studios with 2 girls, aged 12 & 9? It’s just looks so different to Disney but don’t want to waste precious days really.

The younger one is a bit wimpy but hopefully she’ll try some new rides out that take her out her comfort zone. The eldest one is a dare devil and said the only rides she doesn’t want to go in is space Mountain and rock and roller coaster as she hates the dark!
I’m more like the younger and hubby is like the eldest!

Many thanks if you’ve gotten to the end of this essay!

[Guest]

My thoughts to your questions in same order, where I can anyway.

1. No idea on this one sorry, not a great start to my answering your questions.

2. You will get 60 day FPs for your check in and check out day at CBR. It doesn't matter how you bought your tickets, so long as your reservation and tickets are both are linked to your MDE account you will be able to do the 60 day FPs.

3. For your offsite part of the stay, you will have to book fast passes one day at a time.

4. Yes the previous year is as good an approximation as you are going to get until actual park hours are released. Working on days of the week, not dates that is.

5. Yes.

6. No idea about car parking, we have never had a car.

7. Yes, anybody can use Disney transport.

8. As per question 6, no idea as we have never hired a car.

9. I would base the decision on whether to go to Universal on how much they are into Harry Potter. We are huge HP fans and have spent a considerable number of days at Universal (over twenty in total) but I don't think I would be too bothered if I were not interested in HP.

[Tink86]

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply! I wasn’t expecting anyone to read all of that!

They are not Harry Potter fans at all unfortunately! Me and the husband are - clearly hasn’t rubbed off!
Have you ever stayed at CBR? Or off site?
Have you been to Disney a lot? Any tips you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?
Many thanks once again 😊

[Tink86]

Actually I’ve just looked on my Virgin app and it said our disney tickets won’t be available until 2nd October so we can’t link them to MDE till then so won’t get the 60 days FP ☹️

[mickeysbuddy]

Originally Posted by Tink86

Actually I’ve just looked on my Virgin app and it said our disney tickets won’t be available until 2nd October so we can’t link them to MDE till then so won’t get the 60 days FP ☹️

See more...

From reading online you should be able to link your tickets using the virgin reservation number. I've never done this before as I've never booked through virgin. You can also ring disney and get them to link it for you. Although most reports say it can take a few weeks for this to link up, so if you have just booked your holiday you might not be able to link up with MDE for a few more days.

As for driving - I've done it twice now in the last 3 years.
I was really worried about it on my first time driving, but it turns out it was super simple.
I found it easier to drive over there than back home.

Nice big roads everywhere, although best if the other half does the navigating with the phone or satnav.

With the cars all being automatics, you don't need to worry about changing gears etc. you just focus on the driving & the other half can focus on directions

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Tink86

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply! I wasn’t expecting anyone to read all of that!

They are not Harry Potter fans at all unfortunately! Me and the husband are - clearly hasn’t rubbed off!
Have you ever stayed at CBR? Or off site?
Have you been to Disney a lot? Any tips you wouldn’t mind sharing with me?
Many thanks once again 😊

See more...

Well it is your holiday too, so as you have fans in the group, it is worth a visit. I would maybe get two day tickets.

I have never stayed off site but I have stayed onsite at a number of resorts. I was at Caribbean Beach Resort for four nights at the beginning of my trip in September. I was put in the Trinidad block, it was a bit further from the main reception building than I would have liked but wasn't too bad for the Skyliner (although that didn't start operating until a couple of weeks after I left).

Food options were good, Spyglass Grill and Centretown Market. Disney buses were mainly ok, other than to Magic Kingdom where one day I had a really long wait and another day it was really crowded so we had to move to one of the earlier pick up stops.

Originally Posted by Tink86

Actually I’ve just looked on my Virgin app and it said our disney tickets won’t be available until 2nd October so we can’t link them to MDE till then so won’t get the 60 days FP ☹️

See more...

I would push them for the number so you can do 60 day fastpasses, although having said that, you won't get the headliners at day 60 or 61 anyway. I never book via an agent because of the issue of dragging reservation numbers out of them. The one time I did it I ended up cancelling as it was ridiculous the run around I was getting.

[DisneyBoi]

Originally Posted by Tink86

Actually I’ve just looked on my Virgin app and it said our disney tickets won’t be available until 2nd October so we can’t link them to MDE till then so won’t get the 60 days FP ☹️

See more...

We booked through Virgin and just used our virgin booking reference to link in MDE, went through fine so would give it a go

[snowbelle]

I will just answer your driving questions as many others are far more knowledgable about FP etc

Have a read of the following link to get your self acclimatised to the rules of the road

visitflorida/en-us/v...cationers.html

Get a good Sat Nav and put your address in before you go , be aware that it may take time for the sat nav to kick in if you are picking up the car at the airport so we print off a hard copy to start off.

Driving for me is not as easy as many say as I am not keen on driving an automatic but everyone is different
Take it slow and check how to work everything before you leave the hire place, you will see many people just jump in that car and go we always check everything even after 18+ trips.

If you are nervous have a few trials around the hotel car park ,( after letting your DH drive from the airport &#128522
Hotel and restaurant car parks are usually huge and have lots of space to get a feel of the car .

Good luck !

[Tink86]

Originally Posted by DisneyBoi

We booked through Virgin and just used our virgin booking reference to link in MDE, went through fine so would give it a go

See more...

Where do you put the booking ref from virgin on the mde app?

Many thanks for your reply!

[Tink86]

Originally Posted by mickeysbuddy

From reading online you should be able to link your tickets using the virgin reservation number. I've never done this before as I've never booked through virgin. You can also ring disney and get them to link it for you. Although most reports say it can take a few weeks for this to link up, so if you have just booked your holiday you might not be able to link up with MDE for a few more days.

As for driving - I've done it twice now in the last 3 years.
I was really worried about it on my first time driving, but it turns out it was super simple.
I found it easier to drive over there than back home.

Nice big roads everywhere, although best if the other half does the navigating with the phone or satnav.

With the cars all being automatics, you don't need to worry about changing gears etc. you just focus on the driving & the other half can focus on directions

See more...

Thank you for your helpful reply!
We booked back in September last year and have tried a few times (including just now) and nothing comes up when I put our reservation number in.
Virgin told me over the phone that as we haven’t booked the hotel and tickets together we can’t book 60 day fp, but I have read different online so I have no idea!
I think I will phone Disney in my next day off and find out directly from the mouses mouth 😂

Thank you for sharing your experience of the driving side of things, makes me less anxious to read that thank you! I didn’t realise they was all automatic either!
That’s a new one to me, they aren’t difficult to get used to?