Even if you’ve got a slew of Disney World experiences under your belt, there are probably still a few things about the parks that don’t make a whole lot of sense!

That’s why we’re gonna examine five common issues that, even to this day, still confuse some self-proclaimed Disney World experts — even US!

We’re going to start with one of the most common issues we hear about from folks who aren’t very familiar with some of Disney World’s unique one-off policies.

The 120-Minute Genie+ Rule

One of the most important (and potentially confusing) rules with Genie+ is the 120-minute rule. This rule has to do with WHEN you can make Genie+ Lightning Lane selections. Once you’ve purchased Genie+, you can make Lightning Lane selections throughout the day.

Each person in your group can choose one ride (where they’ll skip the line) starting at 7AM. Once you’ve made a selection, you can make your next Lightning Lane selection when:

1. You have used the first one you booked;
2. Your first return time window has ended (if you miss it); or
3. 120 minutes have passed since you booked your last one (or 120 minutes after park opening, depending on the situation).

So, about that confusing 120-minute rule. What it means is that essentially, you can book another Lightning Lane 2 hours (120 minutes) after reserving a previous one if the return time for the first Lightning Lane is more than 2 hours away.

Here’s what Disney says about the 120-minute rule. “Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane selections can only be made one at a time. You must redeem an existing Disney Genie+ service Lightning Lane selection or wait 2 hours—whichever comes first—before making another Lightning Lane entrance selection through Disney Genie+ service. Please note: the 2-hour wait to make another selection begins when the park opens, even if you made your first booking at 7:00 AM.”

Get all the details on the 120-minute rule here!

Why Aren’t There More Parades in Disney World?

Ever since Magic Kingdom’s long-running Main Street Electrical Parade moseyed away in 2016, we haven’t seen a new nighttime parade come in to replace it. 

There are still daytime performances of Festival of Fantasy and Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! at Magic Kingdom, but there seem to be fewer parades in general at Disney World these days, especially when you compare now to how it was a few years ago.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios used to have big parades back in the day including Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade along with Aladdin and Frozen-themed processionals down Hollywood Boulevard when the Disney films were released.

And until more recently, the March of The First Order led by Captain Phasma (of Star Wars fame) used to storm through Hollywood Studios. It wasn’t a crazy big spectacle or anything, but still, it was something really cool to witness first hand!

If you love the thrill of watching parades while enjoying your vacation and want to see something new next time (especially at night!), consider going to Disney World during the fall or winter.

Special holiday parades such as Mickey’s-Boo-to-You Halloween Parade and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade (which normally require separate tickets) can be a great way to change up your parade repertoire!

Check the calendar before you go because these special after-hours events only happen on select nights at Magic Kingdom. And the closer you get to Halloween or Christmas Day, the more likely the party is to sell out AND cost more, so always get your tickets ahead of time instead of buying them at the gate!

Why Can’t We Meet Rare Characters As Often?

There are several places to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy throughout Disney World, but why isn’t there a little more of a variety?

Don’t get us wrong — these guys are great and all! We especially love it when we can meet them wearing special outfits like the safari attire they wear at Tusker House or the artsy clothes they’re sporting at the Topolino’s Terrace character breakfast!

It’s just that while the Fab Five is truly nothing short of classic, we’d love to see some of Disney’s rarer guys make a cameo appearance every now and then!

We can sometimes spot a few unique characters at ear the back of the world showcase in EPCOT! This isn’t guaranteed but keep your eyes peeled when you walk around.

And rare characters are often brought out for special photo ops at runDisney events, but unless you’re a super planner, you probably won’t have your autograph book handy!

Either way, we hope Disney will find a way to bring back some of our buds we’ve lost along the way, especially some of the ones that have only disappeared more recently like Baymax and Sadness! 

How to Get Around on the Disney Skyliner

It doesn’t seem that hard, right? But we still had a lot of confusion about exactly where the Skyliner went and what connected to what before we got a chance to ride regularly ourselves!

Here’s a tricky thing that often trips people up: even though the Disney Skyliner goes to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, you need to transfer lines, meaning there isn’t a line that goes straight through to each park. Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is where you’ll need to switch gondolas.

It’s funny because we’ve had many people SWEAR to us they rode straight to Hollywood Studios from EPCOT. But it’s just not possible! The International Gateway at EPCOT connects to Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort, while Hollywood Studios has its own separate line out of Caribbean Beach.

On a side note, you can also use the Disney Skyliner to indirectly get to Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn which are only a short walk from the International Gateway! That comes in mighty handy if you need to swing by Beaches and Cream real quick and you’re staying at Art of Animation!

Check out our Disney Skyliner FAQ right here!

How to Get Around On Fort Wilderness’ Internal Bus System

Another transportation system that really trips people up can be found at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. This enormous property is REALLY spread out. Sometimes it’s too far to walk to the pool, dining, or other recreational activities you’d like to enjoy!

While you could walk and easily get your 10,000 steps in every day, there are other ways of getting around. You can bring a bike or golf cart from home or rent them by the day from the resort. Other than that, you’ll need to know how Disney’s Fort Wilderness’ internal bus loops work (Yes, they have their own internal bus system!!).

These are color-coded routes: purple, yellow, and orange — and depending on where you’re trying to get to, you might need to get on more than one bus!

The orange bus line will take you to the Meadows area, which includes most of the major amenities of the resort. This is where you’ll find the main pool area, snack bar, and other activities including Chip and Dale’s Campfire Singalong and Movies Under the Stars. This line also runs through the 600-700 and 1000-12000 campsites.

The yellow bus line also connects to the Meadows, but it runs through the 100-500 and 1400-1900 campsites, while the purple bus line runs through the 2000-2800 campsites along with the quiet pools and recreational sports areas on the other side of the resort.

You can also take a boat from Settlement Depot to Magic Kingdom. The boat dock is only a short walk to Pioneer Hall where the Hoop Dee Doo Revue dinner show is performed. 

Boat transportation is also provided to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or Disney’s Contemporary Resort, while you can take a bus from Outpost Depot to get to all the other Disney Parks, water parks, and Disney Springs! Piece of cake…right?! Whew. Yeah. We still don’t get it. 

Read our FULL REVIEW of the Hoop Dee Doo Revue here!

Well, friends, we certainly hope you found at least one useful piece of info for planning your next trip to Disney World, and if you have a question about something you still don’t really get about the parks or resorts, don’t be afraid to reach out to us and ask it in the comments below!

 

What are some things that still trip you up at Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!