If you’re planning a Disney World vacation you’ll probably discover that it can be just a bit overwhelming with Advance Dining Reservations, Genie+ selections, and more — and you quickly come up with a whole list of questions that you don’t have answers to.

Our good friends at Small World Vacations have been answering planning questions for years, even those that might sound strange to seasoned Disney World visitors but are totally logical to novices!

These are five common questions along with ANSWERS from the agents at Small World Vacations!

1. “It’s my birthday, can I spend the day touring the parks with Mickey Mouse?”

While Disney goes out of their way to acknowledge your special celebration, the Disney Characters are not able to accompany guests for an entire day in the parks.

You can, however, meet your favorite characters, and (generally) give them a hug or get an autograph! You can find out where to meet your favorite Disney friend in the park map guides, the My Disney Experience app, the Disney World website, and by asking at your Disney Resort concierge or Guest Relations in the parks.

Note that character meet-and-greets are gradually returning to “normal” in Disney World, in phases — so things may be more limited for the time being.

You could also look into doing something like a character meal that could give you some extra special moments with your favorite Disney friends! Note that not all character dining experiences have returned and some may be modified at this time.

Click here to see our list of character meet-and-greets that have returned to “normal” in Disney World

And click here for our page full of details about character meals

2. “Can a Disney Princess come to our room and read my child a bedtime story?”

Disney Princesses can’t tuck your children in at night, but you can meet Disney Princesses like Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, and others and take a picture with them in the theme parks (depending on availability).

When available, you can also dine with Disney Royalty including Snow White at select character meals. Again, note that not all character dining options have returned and some that have returned may be modified at this time.

Check your My Disney Experience app for character meet-and-greet times and locations, and to make reservations for character meals.

Click here to see our full review of Storybook Dining with Snow White!

3. “How can we sleep in Cinderella’s Castle?”

Yes, it’s true! There really is a royal suite located high above the crowds in the castle in the Magic Kingdom! You generally can’t book it, but has been a top prize in past Disney sweepstakes. Generally, you’ll have to be invited or win a contest to get the chance to spend the night, or you could previously pay to tour the room (not stay in it) but it would cost you $12,000!

The next best thing to spending the night is dining IN the castle at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Or your little one can feel like a Princess with a magical make-over at the Bibiddi Bobiddi Boutique, when available (note that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is currently unavailable but is set to reopen in Disney World and Disneyland in 2022).

Click here to learn all kinds of details about the Castle Suite and get a peek inside!

4. “Can I take the monorail from my Disney Resort to the theme parks?”

Yes, but only if you’re staying at one of the hotels closest to the Magic Kingdom — Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, or Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Villas.

You can also ride the Monorail from the Transportation and Ticket Center to EPCOT, or you can take a monorail from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom.

There are also buses, boats, and the Disney Skyliner to take you from your Disney Resort to the theme parks. Availability of these forms of transportation will depend on what hotel you’re staying at.

For example, the Skyliner is available at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. It connects those resorts to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

And if you’d rather not wait for Disney transportation, you can call for a Minnie Van to drive you around Walt Disney World, when available.

Note that the Minnie Van service is temporarily suspended, but Disney has indicated that it will be returning in the summer of 2022.

Click here for our page full of information about Disney World transportation

5. “I don’t want to wait for the theme park rides. Can I pay to skip the lines?”

Yes! Previously, Disney offered a free service that helped guests skip the lines called FastPass+. The FastPass+ service has since been discontinued. In its place are 2 new paid FastPass+ replacement services — Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection (or Pay-Per-Ride).

First, let’s talk about Disney Genie+. It costs $15 per day per ticket at Disney World, and $20 per day per ticket at Disneyland. If you pay for this service, you’ll be able to see when the next available time is to use various rides’ Lightning Lanes (i.e. FastPass+ lanes). You will select the next available time to use the Lightning Lane for whatever ride you want, and when your time arrives, you can visit the ride and use the Lightning Lane (skipping the standby line).

Once you’re done with that ride, you can make another Genie+ Lightning Lane selection — 1 ride at a time, throughout the day. Over 40 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disney World, over 15 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disneyland. NOT all attractions are available through the standard Genie+ service.

Select, highly popular attractions (like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) are NOT listed on Genie+. If you want to use the Lightning Lane for those attractions, you’ll have to pay for the attractions INDIVIDUALLY. Guests can buy a maximum of 2 of these Individual Attraction Selections per day and prices for each one vary depending on the ride, park, and day.

If you want to pay for super-duper access to the rides, a VIP tour with a Disney Guide for 7 hours is the ultimate “cut-the-line” experience.

Click here to see our complete guide to Disney Genie+!

You have questions…Small World Vacations has answers!

Small World Vacations agents have been to Walt Disney World over 2,500 times! Their agents know what you need to know before you go. They’re Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planners who have been there, done that and going back. Plus their services are TOTALLY FREE!

Learn how they can help you and what are guests are saying about them:

“Small World Vacations has been so fantastic with helping plan our magical vacation. Not only was our agent incredibly professional and organized but she also gave us amazing recommendations. She was always on top of things for us and followed up, typically within 24 hours. She made me feel like I was her only client and that every detail was perfect. THANK YOU”

If you are ready to begin planning your next Walt Disney World vacation, simply fill out Small World Vacations’ no obligation quote form! Small World Vacations is happy to share over 25 years of Disney expertise and firsthand experience with My Disney Experience, discounts, dining reservations, and Genie+ so you can sit back, relax and enjoy some Disney Magic!

There are some great deals for your next Walt Disney World Vacation. Check out the current discounts. Small World Vacations’ agents compare offers to find the best deal for you!

Get the Magic started and complete a request for a price quote with Disney Food Blog’s recommended Travel Agency — Small World Vacations.  An agent will review your travel preferences and provide you with a no-obligation quote along with their phone number so you can speak directly with them.

Click here to fill out your request form!

We’re constantly looking for ways to help you improve your Disney World travel planning. To see our ultimate guide to planning a Disney World trip, click here. And click here to check out our month-by-month guide to planning a trip.