Going to Disney World is all about being in the magic.
If you just go up with a pair of ears and no planner, you're
already behind. So from mastering the lightning
lane to skipping the customs hall with the MPC app, your
phone needs your ticket to a stress future.
Tonight we're going to be going through all the insurance and
outs of our phones to see what we take on our next trip to
Disney World. Welcome to the great British
Mickey Waffle live. Hello everybody, I hope we're
all well this Wednesday. I I think as we literally turned
up a few minutes before the show started.
I think we've all had a week so far so I'm I'm not allowed.
To two days in I. Don't know.
We've had a bank holiday as well.
We're only two days in. We're in May though, so it's
positive. We're getting close to summer
and we've all got a lot of plans coming up this summer or at
least later on this year. So join me today with Becca.
Hello, I apologise, it's like yawn throughout this show.
Yeah. No, no.
No, it's a normal Wednesday. I'll just help you keep you
away. You'll be OK.
We've also got John. Hi, John.
Hi, Ben. You're all right.
Yeah, not too bad yourself. I'm.
Very well, yeah. Busy, I say.
I could just see outside your window and it looks bright and
sunny. Yeah, it is.
Well, it's cold. It's, you know, it's, it's
still, I've still got the heat now, but.
Still in Northeast, isn't it? Yeah.
Yeah, the heat not to go on it's it's very cold.
OK, I would say it is cold today.
I'm not in shorts and in jeans, so it's like the past few days.
But Simon, how are you keeping warm?
Yeah, I've not had too many problems there.
It's it's been quite a nice weather for the last few days.
It's been a bank holiday filled with DIY as as usual, so.
Yeah, I hate it. Yeah.
No, All good. That's good.
We don't have too much for a plan for tonight's show, so
apologies, we are just going to win it.
But I have to admit, looking at like our phones and everything,
there's so much, it's so easy to when going to a Disney trip and
not have a plan. And our first trip, we didn't
have a plan. We It was our first time to.
Florida, I'll also say back in on our first trip.
Years ago you were going to say back in our day.
Yeah, it was all paper maps and paper pass passes and getting
getting line at MCR on white. There was no, no shortcuts.
So. No way.
No way of helping us. No way.
What's the What's the weather on the telly?
Yeah, there was no Optus optimising your trip.
It was just you went to Disney, you went round the parks, you
enjoyed what you're doing in the moment, which I have a bit is
great to look back on. But I think like I said in the
intro, if you haven't got a little bit of a plan, you, you
might come across a few things that we did in our first trip
where we didn't get dining reservations.
We didn't know we had to book in advance.
It was, it was quite difficult, I think to go with that.
And then before we get into that, I think there's been quite
a bit of Disney news this week, especially this afternoon.
Hasn't it just? Has indeed.
So I think we'll head straight into the news.
I'm not sure where this. Should be this, should be this
should be described as entitlement gone absolutely
ballistic at Animal Kingdom. It's just like, it's the most
bizarre story I've ever heard. Yeah, it was shared on TikTok
event late yesterday afternoon, but there was at Kilimanjaro
Safaris. Someone decided to jump off the
truck and go to the nearest bushes.
Our bathroom break. Yeah, but I had to.
If they'd listened to our podcast, they would realize that
there isn't an actual toilet in that part of Animal Kingdom.
Yeah, I was going to get like the map and just on, on on the
app somebody's experience ago. This is not a bathroom.
This is not where there is a restroom in the park.
But The thing is, what happened, what would have happened,
though, if it was in an area where actually there was?
What a dangerous animal. Yeah, it doesn't bear thinking
of. Boy, if you were near the Nile
crocodiles, I just. It's one it's been any animal
around because any man animal can be danger dangerous when
it's hardened. Yeah, and also I just.
I'm sure I've got very, very strong.
Legs and also it's not just danger in himself, but also it's
danger in everyone else that's part of that is on stage at that
time. And I think that's something you
just don't understand. And I don't know.
We're going to see someone, someone's mind in a moment.
It's not. Respecting anyone else?
Yeah. And the thing, the thing that
really annoys me, Ben, and I think this is where you begin to
see this. There's only a limit to how much
health and safety that Disney could be responsible for.
You know what you're going to do?
You're going to put, like glass screens up both sides of the,
you know, of the right vehicle so that somebody doesn't do it
again in the future. It just it spoils it for
everyone else. Yeah, it will be.
It is a shame. I did read a lot about people
might think that disabled go down that route of plexiglass
back in like they did during COVID and in half.
We did that in 2021 and it wasn't great.
It was it's OK, but you don't get the same experience and it
shouldn't be for one person to have made that issue that have
gone wrong or it impacts everybody else.
But yeah, it's not not the most. I had to take just double take.
I couldn't believe it. And then that there was a video
as well. So if one wants to see it is a
TikTok and you can go and just it's the comments from everyone
else in the truck because they've always just said, well,
he's going to be banned and be interesting to see if Disney
make an announcement or what happens.
And I hope they don't react by making it.
I don't know, maybe for? Everyone else.
Maybe they just need another reminder at the beginning, even
though that I know because we've been in Kilimanjaro so far, they
they say that if anything is dropped, don't jump out and get
it. Yeah, yeah.
It's, it's interesting to see what, how, how that develops.
But that that was not on my bingo card for the news this
week. No, it wasn't no, but neither
was the other item, which which actually the the reopening of
big Thunder Mountain was like was in a way was kind of
overshadowed by the and and admittedly it was it was only a
small fire, but actually it was one of those moments that you
yelling, yelling, you're sitting down and you're thinking, Oh,
that is just again, it's one of the last things that you really
want when something's just brand new and and and again for for
play to Disney, because actually usually something like that
happens and it will be like a downtime of, you know, two weeks
to try and investigate exactly what the problem was it.
Was just only a couple of hours. Yeah.
And it looked, it basically looks as something, something
that maybe overheated. And that was yeah, that was the
cause of it. But that was that was quite
again, the queue time for that of the weekend was absolutely
incredible. And it's that whole thing of
having AI know we're going to talk about this in the monthly
podcast moving forward anyway. But it's having that sound
within the park that you just rely on that little sound from
the back corner of just those, those the mind crane going round
and round and the little crank of the of the of the cars that's
going up the hill. It doesn't matter where you are,
you actually still become very aware of it when it when it's in
the air shot. And so that's a bit I'm really
looking forward to in the summer is actually going and having
that back in the park as well because it I definitely.
Just hearing the screams of people on the attraction.
Yeah, yeah. It there's just so much to it
and I think we'd like we said we'll cover in a future podcast,
but it was just us. I was just watching on on
socials over the weekend. It just was she there's a part
of me double wish I'd been first sort of would be like I do not
have to experience it. But then actually thinking like
2 hours to queue on just like I'm going next next night.
Yeah, we'll wait till we go go back and looking forward to them
going on then at 2 times. But then now I think about and
it seems to get back to the book.
John, did you do some press begin the key for it or would
you just I? I think you've got to wait for
the queues to die down. I can't.
I don't honestly see, I don't see what what fun it is to just
just to say, oh, I rode it when it.
I was the best. Yeah, it kind of.
I don't know. I can see why people do it, you
know, Don't get me wrong, if it was over there, I probably would
go and queue up. I am that stupid, you know, It's
a bit like it's a. Bit like it'd be going when the
ride closes. You ought to be like the last
one. It's it's so nice to be when you
were there for like it's closing.
But yeah, Simon, how about you? Would you be first in line?
Not necessarily I think I'm if it's a ride that's a reopen and
it's because it's a refurb or retheme, I think no I can.
I can't wait till the crowds have died down.
If it's a new ride, I would probably I would try and see
what if there was a gap at some point where it wasn't so bad,
I'd see what I could do. But yeah, for something that is
just an update to an existing ride, I probably wouldn't
wouldn't rush to to join the queues really.
That leads nicely on to sort of soft opening dates for a rock
and roller coaster and soaring across America and also because
they've or pass holder and DVC reviews so for both of those
attractions as well, which is quite interesting to see that
none of that happened for big Thunder mountain.
I wonder whether I've. I think they'll cut in the
refurb, but we find them very close, a lot closer than we've
ever once suspect. I think a lot of it may have
been for realising how much extra protection that we're
putting in ball and sort of we mentioned last week on the show
about other walls around Big Thunder between that and the
construction worker Piston Peak. So I wonder whether that was a
lot to do with that by not having it open as early and then
having that sort of two hour plus queues for Big Thunder over
the weekend. I think it helped as well
because I know over the weekend that Quanted Mansion went down
as well unexpectedly and and you could imagine the part without
big Thunder and without without having a Haunted Mansion.
There will be significant queues in the rest of Magic Kingdom on
if that were to happen. So to actually have a lot of
people within the big Thunder queue actually actually did
provide a little bit of help. And I think certainly look
looking towards the summer, I would, I would think that that
was going to be a real again, just a crowd Sapper right into
that back corner once again and probably will encourage more
people on the Tianas as well because you're done in that area
around you. Yeah.
And so the dates for the rock and roller coaster, so and the
preview for Anna Pass holders, it's on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd of
May and there'll be a virtual queue during the day for seven
AM, 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM. And DVC members have got
priority access on May 24th. So it'd be quite interesting to
see how they build up because I think it's reopening on the
26th. So it'd be quite good to see how
that works and foresaw in across America.
So Annual Pass Office can preview on the May 19th and 20th
and and we use a standard standby queue during no normal
park hours. There's no virtual queue needed
for that one with DVC members queue and the priority access on
the 21st of May. I have a feeling.
Isn't that the week that Claire is in Disney World?
It wouldn't surprise me. I have a feeling it.
Is. Should be front of that line,
don't you worry. Yeah, Cloud will be showing us
how virtual queue works. We'll cover that a little bit
later on in the show because it's been a bit been a while
since we've used virtual keeps. What was the last one?
Yeah, one on Guardians. What's too on this?
No, have we got any other news topics?
I did see the just tomorrow's confirmed plans moving forward
with Disneyland Abu Dhabi and there is AD 23 and the next year
that isn't in the US. It was a data for any to be
Asia. Yeah, coming to Singapore in
2027. That's interesting.
Yeah, first time it's ever been to to Asia.
Yeah. That that's going to be because
we got the big event this year in sort of Anaheim and it'd be
interesting to see what updates we get between there and what
the focus is where when you can probably get a lot more detail
around so Hong Kong, Tokyo, Chiang Lai.
I expect also some more details around the was it the Disney
believed cruise ship, which is supposed to be going out of
Tokyo so I could see a lot of focus around around that so
interesting to see because they used to alternate between
Disneyland or Disney World. So I think last year they had
the D-23 event in Walt Disney World as we were there, Did
they? Also do one in South America
somewhere. I think there was sort.
Of a Disney 100? Is that part of the Disney 100
celebrations like we had in London that had one for the
Disney 100? Yeah.
I'm trying to think, is there any other news that we've had
this week? I do wonder how the, I guess it
is a distinct shift in the popularity for Disney parks to
Asia, right, with Shanghai going there as well and all the
expansion that they've had at Hong Kong Disneyland, but
they've, they've got the Marvel land expansion coming to
Shanghai as well. So it sort of makes sense that
there's a lot of interest in the Asia parks and with the cruise
line routes opening there. It's I guess it's kind of a
trying to break new ground on expanding their their loyal
customer base in in Asia and see what give people another
alternative as well for America, I guess.
But yeah, I'd be interested to see how they handle the the D 23
event. Yeah, especially how the balance
between the two, because I know over the past few years whenever
there's been announcements like in Paris or anywhere that helps,
like the United States, I know there's a lot of like, well,
we're hearing about investment in these other parks, What about
investment at home, the domestic parks.
So it's quite interesting to see that, that balance, whether they
might end up doing more going forward in different areas.
So we get a European 1, I don't think be right just to do 1
park. But because in Asia you've got 3
parks, it makes sense to cover a lot of those announcements.
Then whether they delay what they might announce in August
and focus on them next year means we might get some more
news and updates for all Disneyland and Disneyland in
August. Because I know that it's it's
going to be quite a big event for Josh, tomorrow's first D 23
as CEO. I think that's that for me is
that for me is the big part of it.
And I think that's a bit that needs to be celebrated more than
who else. And actually just having having
that ability to recognise it as a new CEO, there needs to be
some form of some form of recognition of what he's, what
he's got ahead of him and what and this is, this is his time to
shine and it will be unmissable viewing I think.
It's, it's that, it's that first impression, isn't it?
It's first time on stage as CEO and be interesting because he's
not in parks as much as what he was in his previous role.
So when he was on standing on their fetish story, I was
talking about what's coming the next 10 years of parks.
It'd be interesting to see how long he is on stage and what
he's talking about as being CEO of the company.
Yeah, no, it'd just be a different dynamic, won't it?
And, and actually, yeah, I still feel that his heart is in the
parks anyway. So I still feel that that's that
for me is is where I personally feel that he can make a very
quick win. And I've never said this before
because I think because that's, that's the area he's really most
experienced in. And I think for me, it's the one
area in which he's got his finger on the pulse and and he
can actually change that around. On very positive news for Hidden
though, Disney Parks records a 9.5 billion in revenue for
quarter to 2026. Strange though, the man.
The man's don't loan me money again.
Yeah, he would have thought the parks and cruise ships are
hosting such a a huge chunk in revenue.
It's a 7% jump in year over year.
I mean, that's a law, yeah. Yeah, and I'm not.
I'm not going there. I'm not going there politically.
What I would also add, and this is, this is, again, I'm, I'm,
I'd always said before, when, when things go wrong for
companies, it is such a sad time because people, people lose lots
of jobs. But the loss of Spirit Airlines
within the US, I, I, I'd be intrigued just looking at that
moving forward as to, and, and if you're in the chat, you live
in America, it might well be that you don't use spirit for
some reason or another. But given that they have such,
such a big input within MCO, will that impact on the cheap?
You know, that four day trip if you're coming down from Boston
or anywhere else in the in the north of of the US, will that
curtail some of that traffic into Walt Disney World?
I'll be, I'm intrigued to see how that fits in along with what
seemingly is on, you know, a little bit longer of a war than
people would have thought possible.
Is is that going to impact on the summer queue times?
I hope so, speaking totally greedily.
But then we've also got the the issue as regarded, is there
enough airline fuel left in the world?
So yeah, everybody's got question marks about it.
And I think that, yeah, my heart goes out to everyone at Spirit
who who've lost their jobs because actually, yeah, it must
be the most horrible feeling that you basically, yeah, you,
you work your socks off and then a company decides that that's it
will. Probably wake up the next
morning and you find out. You job?
Yeah, yes, yes. Never, never good.
Right. And I think that's The thing is
travel is one of those things that's forever changing.
There's so much news and every time you're looking on, whether
it's social media or forums in different places, there's
there's a lot of confusion out at the minute.
And we because a lot of it is the media, it's difficult to
work out and probably count up to 100 different posts in the
past week of is there enough fuel for the summer?
And it's I don't know what about true.
Whatever happens happens. It's people are we're all
looking forward to going away this summer.
And if, if we have to change trips, why things happen.
You just have to you have to deal with it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think the one thing you can't
underestimate the the impact that it will have on MCO of
Spirit not being there. I mean, you look at the, I mean
aside from the fact they've been going for 30 odd years, it's
like close on half a million passengers a month through
Orlando with Spirit. You know, it's like 200, 200 or
so flights a week that they had in and out of there.
So yeah, it's, it's quite, it's probably going to be quite a big
impact on maybe a shorter haul Flyers that are coming from
other U.S. states into and out of Orlando on on cheaper
flights. You know, it's, it's probably
going to have a knock on impact to some of those people.
They might, people might be moving to different airlines but
have to travel less because their flights are more expensive
for the future. So, but yeah, yeah, it's sad
when an airline disappears and yeah, people lose their jobs.
Unfortunately it's not a good thing to happen.
It sort of makes you realise how tight those margins must be in
the budget end of end of the airline industry.
It's it doesn't take much of A of a change of market conditions
for them to to take a sudden hit on that.
Yeah, yeah. It it must be helpful, but
anyone in charge of running a company like that to have to
make that decision regardless whether you're forced to or not,
it's a difficult thing for anyone involved in the company.
Yeah. Can I, can I also put in into
the the mix as well? And I think this is important to
say because again, going back to what you said just there, Ben,
is the fact that there's so much misinformation being spread.
Yeah, online and a lot of news outlets will also put in the
whole fact that, you know, they will put in the fact that the
word could or might, and they gloss over that within the
headline. And suddenly people who just
read the headline are suddenly panicking.
And what we don't want is to alarm anybody.
Listen to this and just take what take what you said earlier,
Ben, is the fact that yeah, if something happens, then it
happens and there's nothing any of us can do about it.
So. So really what we need just to
understand is the fact that keep playing your holiday away
because actually the percentage will be actually going.
And I'll probably live to regret this if, if things are going to
get any worse. But the percentage of flights
that are going to be cancelled is going to be minimal purely
because what they'll do is they'll consolidate flights so
that they don't have empty planes going out.
They'll just make sure that the actual stadium, if you're meant
to go on the 9:00 flight and the 11:00 flight, and they're both
both, they would just, yeah, they would just merge the
flights together. And they've done that over the
years before how many times that we've had maybe if we put an
additional flight on because actually they would, they would
have overbooked the day before and certain how they, they
changed. They, they know what they're
doing. And I think we've, we've all
been thorough. We will.
Six years ago we were dealing with the pandemic.
We understood what when things got cancelled and things had to
change. We've had that experience not
and we want to experience it again, but we've learned from
it, learned to go through it and just life throws you these
challenges, these curveballs. You just have to just get on
with it. I think and I'm looking forward
to getting on our holidays this year and gives us a bit it's
time to rest and relax. And I'm going to say a quick
hello because I know we didn't mention them earlier, but we
quite we've got quite a few people in the chat today.
I think there's also a few ninja watchers as well.
But first in stay we have Heather.
Hi, Heather. Thanks for joining us as always.
We have Wendy and like it's sunny but chilly in Indiana.
Got my heating on too. See.
It's quite, quite interesting. John, you're not alone.
Yeah. Mark's here.
Not jealous at all, Mark. Sunny and a warm in Florida.
That sounds good to me, Mark. Yeah.
And also, well, Mark's there.
Well, Mark's there as well. So thank you as always.
You know, I know you had your sabbatical from being being on
social media, but the world's a better place, Mark, when you're
posting photographs from Walt Disney World on your socials
because actually you just open your phone up and just go, Yep,
that's where I want to be. And it just, it makes it one day
closer every single day. So appreciate it, Mark, and
thank you for joining us. I just it's still every time you
just see something. I think I saw a video on TikTok
the other day, which was the audio from when you get onto one
of the Disney buses and he was just saying, and you do on your
way to the Magic Kingdom. And I was thinking, I really
wish I was on the way to magic. And it just just it's you have
that sort of like, I wish I was there actually.
You know, it's not going to be too long for an extra.
So. And we also got Jacob.
Hi, Jacob. Hope you're doing well.
Thanks for joining us. Yeah.
So it's, it's been good to us. We've also got Colton Colton.
Yeah, it's good. I'm not sure what that is in
Celsius, but I think that's quite cold in Fahrenheit 40°.
Yeah. Yeah.
Cold. Yeah, that might be cold.
Look at that. And just as as we speak,
Samantha. Joins us.
Yeah, there you go. Thank you for joining us just
and if you, if you are an injury watching, yeah, just put message
in. We will give you a little shout.
Say hello. Yeah.
Because, well, we're that kind of people we quite like.
We don't buy it. We like the fact.
Everyone's super friendly. Yeah, yeah.
But Will, what was class off shows like a midweek hug,
whether you're having a good week or a bad weekend?
I never was. There's like halfway.
We had a bank holiday weekend but I feel like it should be
Friday by now. I know Cousin half dragged on
this week. We had two days in the office.
Yeah. Oh no.
Even worse. Yeah, and I have to admit, and
I've been keeping up on Robin's sort of insta stories past few
days. I'm like, I'm just jealous.
I'd much rather be in be in Disney than being in work.
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah, I spoke to her 5 minutes,
5 minutes before we joined and she was on her way to Hollywood
Studios and he was glorious. Blue skies and sunshine side.
Yeah, that sounds sounds good to me.
Yeah. OK, so on to tonight's topic.
We said we're going to talk about the apps that are on our
phone. How do you plan your trip?
What is there a particular app that you start with even before
you start having your trip? So anything you always have as a
must do. Sky.
Sky scanner, Yeah. Sky.
Scanner I suppose going to say airline apps for me are the must
have so I I always have. I have both the BA and the
Virgin apps, as I'm sure lots of people that travel in and out of
Orlando have done flights with both airlines.
So I always have both airline apps because whoever I'm flying
with, I always want to know that my bookings going in there.
I can do all the seat selection and fiddle around with the
booking. So that's always my.
Check in like it's 24 hours before you can do the job
online. Put everything in there and and
it tells you how many bads you want to add and all, all, all of
that and good signal when you're planning because on them you and
over the British Airways 1, there was this cheapest fares
section. So I always used to just put in
like 7 days, 14 days and it will just tell you what locations
are, are the cheapest you can like like I'm trying to save a
bit of money. What's when are we booking
flights? And it's like John, you
mentioned of Skyscanner as well. I think we've got plenty of
different apps that whether you use Expedia, there's some
different Google Flights. I think the biggest thing for us
is to start with is always looking at the flights.
Yeah. I will say Virgin Atlantic has
had an update recently, so if you're like me and you only look
at your Virgin app once a year, you might want to download the
new one. Yes.
It's a lot more cohesive, it's a lot more up to date and you can
do a lot more on it. A lot of it is sort of where
that based. So when you click on it, it
opens a small window on your phone the you didn't do before.
The things like you're looking like for reward flights, it used
to direct you straight to the website when now it keeps you
within the app. You can also do things like
bidding for upgrades, not that I've looked but you can not.
But it's something you used to have to do.
You don't have to get your laptop out or go on a web
browser your computer to find. You can just do it in the app.
And I think British Airways can do a lot of the same things as
well. And I think that's what's
changed a lot over the years. Because I remember of our first
few trips, I would download the Virgin app, so you'd get your
boarding pass on it. But when you go to check in,
when you go to the airport, they go, oh, we don't accept that.
Here's your printer. It's like, what's the point of
the app? They put you out a physical
boarding pass anyway, why do you ask for one or not?
I know I'd much rather just have the app, but you don't.
Yeah, because in the backdrop they go well.
Yeah, you've got lucky bags and then they bring you out a
boarding pass. It's like I've already checked
in, I don't need a boarding pass.
I've got my phone. Let me use my phone.
Yeah. But I can see years ago when we
first started using it like 20/13/2014 that the app is
vastly improved. I.
Think it did in 2014, but it's one of those things that another
thing for us, we do a lot of stuff in our notes app.
So when we're thinking of ideas or writing down notes and just
whether it's what hotel we're going to stay at next, what we
do and rough plans, just ideas. I've got 2 shopping lists
currently in my notes app for Florida.
It's for stuff to bring home. And a packing list.
Yeah. But it's.
Not finished yet? John, do you have a packing
list? No, a last, no, I, I just, I say
what I want and then and then half it because actually and I
realise I'd take it too much so. Yes.
It's a coming back bit that that generally gets me because I
usually end up buying too much. Yeah.
You don't want to take too much out there because you're just
going to waste that space for. Yeah, so I'm a newer planner.
Do you have a packing list for? We, we usually do, we're a bit
like you. So no Apple Notes.
We always use that with a list of stuff.
But yeah, over the years the the list has got a bit shorter
because there's things that we automatically get out or they're
stored in a in drawers that are almost like holiday drawers and.
They're just kind of. Take those out and they're
default things that go with us. But yeah, we usually have an
Apple Notes section set up. We also use that for not just
like the list of planning, but we'll also do like a rough
itinerary of days and plans that we have where we're staying.
So we sort of know where we're at.
But yeah, I guess there's other Google equivalents and that you
could use for that. But yeah, I think having a
shared something that's shared that you can both access when
you're a couple is great to have, yeah.
And it's good having a Google spread, just having a
spreadsheet, just having something.
There is a lady after my own heart.
Yeah, it ends up in the notes app, but then it get.
Transferred to the spreadsheet and.
Then we're now, we're now into that mega.
We're into that mega stuff as well, aren't we?
I think that's not an app. That's the fun I'm planning
though, isn't That's the thing. And whether your countdown is 30
days or 300 days, you're always at a different point in working
out what you need to book and when you need to book it.
So obviously with dizzy vacation class, we book like 11 months in
advance or seven months in advance for like that hotel.
But then you've got the flights which come out at 11 months.
And then depends whether we're booking with cash, the whether
we're booking with points depends on availability.
And once we've worked that out, so it's having that thing so you
can move all the way through it. There are quite a few different
apps that you can use for planning.
And I would like to put in the calendar of just those dates.
So when you're a little bit closer to it, especially when
you get to 60 days out for booking your dining
reservations, because if you're on site at Disney, if you're not
on site Disney, having the My Disney Experience out is the one
of the best things to have on your phone and make sure it's
updated before the next time you go because there are always
frequent bug fixes. And I remember when we went when
guardians opened and they changed how you can access the
photos on your photo pass. So it wasn't done on like the
magic band. It was done on scanning the QR
code on the wall through your phone, and then you had to
enable the location and settings on your phone through the app
and a full of photo to get loaded.
So it's something that you need to sort of be aware of that if
you do have these apps, make sure you go and sort of like the
Google Play or the Apple App Store to check if there's
updates beforehand because you're not sure.
You don't want to get into the parks and then find out
something's not working. And it could easily be solved
with a little update. Especially with this dodgy
Wi-Fi, take you forever to download the update.
I still think what is involved Wi-Fi can be better at times of
Paris, OH. Yeah, definitely.
Yeah. And especially with them sort of
new attractions and new reefabishments they they've been
doing, I know a good spot if anyone needs reasonable Wi-Fi
connection is working from home and going to connections is
very, very good. I mean, as poor as it is, for
the amount of people using it on a daily basis, it's actually
quite good. Wi-Fi.
You joked about it, but yeah, that's the job.
It does the job and when you are right when you think how many
people are connected with that. But yeah, no.
So there's a lot you can do in the My Disney Experience app.
So it's it doesn't get a lot of stick over the years because
when it started back in I think 2014 where you used to got the
Magic Bands and the My Magic Plus and you would book your
fast passes. It's it's the app that pretty
much does everything. And unfortunately with DZ's IT
doing everything on one app with multiple different systems, it
didn't always work reliably. But I think now that it must be
chips. We've never had an issue with
it. Mobile order on there is
probably the best part of it, makes it so much easier to get
you quick service paid. Yeah, I would say as well.
And actually, yeah, I think probably people know that I'm
Wendy. I'm, I'm with you as well.
I don't download the tunnel app, so it just clutters my phone up
and stuff like that. However, what you do find is
that the the Disney app itself, even when you're not there,
becomes a really good drop in. You know, that little bit when
you want to know how long the queue is for guardians in the
middle just because you're having a bit of fun with the
kids. And it's just like, yeah, well,
how long was the queue? And we just like if you go to
place now and, you know, in the past that used to be maybe
forums, you know, planning forums that you could maybe use.
Everything's become much more app based.
And, and I think Disney, they've done they've done a decent job
of actually trying to put so much within the app.
And I know, I know what we don't have, you know, I know we
criticize it from time to time. However, I don't think it's,
it's one of those apps that you you could be the greatest web
developer in the world and I don't think it would be right
for everybody at the same time. So it is what it is.
And actually to have such a such an amazing amount of information
in just one small space. I think is, is, you know, I
think we mentioned that a few weeks ago, or even I think it
might even be on the, the, the, the start of the month show is
the fact that, you know, in years gone by, we all used to
take big, massive books out to Florida, Florida with us.
You know, those, those big, big sort of planning Bibles.
They were called, you know, and they were, they were thicker
than the Bible, some of them. And you'd buy one every, you
know, every trip and people that go is, oh, you know, such and
such has changed. And actually what we're finding
now is all them people who made all them books, they're no
longer required. They're all out.
They're all out of the job because actually everyone's got
the phone right in front of them and they've got all that
information totally to hand. And then when somebody asks them
a question that maybe might not have been in the book back in
the day, you just Google it and it's there and you've got free
Wi-Fi. And you just suddenly you become
the front of old knowledge when someone asks you who that window
of Main Street belongs to and you say, oh, there we go.
I just now quickly Google that. You take a picture now when it
tells you where it's from. And that's the difference, isn't
it? And I think what we, what we
have to, what we have to accept. So as the person who still likes
writing stuff down, etcetera, is is the actual power of of this.
And even Google, even using your Apple notes as a means as a go
to place to drop it in of either what you want to buy or where
you've seen something. It just becomes part and parcel
of exactly your day-to-day experience in the park.
What I would say and what we always say is the fact that
don't allow yourself to just get dragged into having that phone
right in front of your face because you've missed the magic
that's surrounding about you. Don't don't be one of them
people. And there are many of them
around who basically will turn up at the queue for the next
ride and won't have they will have missed all of that magic
that's deliberately there for you.
And I really do think that that's a that's a really
important. One, I think the Disney app
gives us so much information. Yeah, it's good to see what's
happening around you, but it shouldn't be.
The focus should be when you're between attractions or when
you're in the queue. Yeah, actually, I'm on my phone.
That should not be what you should be taking the
surroundings and focusing on being in that moment.
Then you are on your phone. Absolutely.
Jacob's come up, come up with something in the chat.
I think it's an absolutely superb point.
And that is that is using my Disney experience to actually
find out about how you can plan around food allergies.
I actually feel that particularly for people who are
gluten free, you actually get that opportunity to see the
availability before you sit down or before you go into a
restaurant, before you go to counter service.
You have that ability to to to basically do your own homework.
And I know that that for loads of people who watch and listen
to us, that has been a real game changer for them because it's
allowed them to actually plan exactly what they can eat and
where they can eat. Before you have that that
horrible situation of having to sit there with a server and say,
have you got anything that's gluten free?
Or if I'm intolerant of this, that and the other, have you got
anything? And then for them to turn around
and say, well, actually, no, I don't think we do.
And actually Disney have become very an awful lot better than
that, I would say over the past 10 years.
That for me is one of the most noticeable differences.
And I would say for a lot of people that has been a real help
by using that app just to just so they know, and so they've got
reassurance that they are being catered for and actually they
can, they can go and experience the same places that they want
to go and experience them. They shouldn't be.
You know, I think we said when we talked about the Halloween
party, you know, it's, it's that part where you actually get to
the end and you, you cache your token and, and you get the
option of either, you know, it can be either sugar, whatever,
whatever option you, you, there is a provision for you.
And in the past, I, I actually feel that that's something
that's really good to see. It focus on the inclusivity of
everybody. So does no one.
And so they should, you know, so they should because actually
there's, there's a huge market for it.
And actually your everyday restaurant has to, has to cater
for it and has to make that on the, on their menu.
You go to so many restaurants, they have to lay it out because
actually, if you have, if you have an issue regarding food
wise, they then become they, they then become responsible for
your illness or your, your episode.
And that's that's not going to be, that's going to be magical
for you and it's certainly not going to be magical for them.
When you're in guest relations saying, look, I was told that
this was such and such a dish. You lied.
Yeah, this is quite interesting because we spent a few hours at
the weekend planning where we're going to eat in September and it
was quite interesting. Every time we're just going on
the app, looking through the website, going through.
And so this is what and the app to go on that go through all the
places that we wanted to eat and then looking at all of the menus
and scrolling down and seeing all the options that were gluten
free that were feeding there that had so many different
options. But also if we were looking at
places that we could mobile order so we could customise
because we can be quite picky as at times.
So certain things we choose that we don't want on there.
But knowing that we can actually go into mobile order and have
the cheese taken off my burger or have certain things taken out
that I'm right before, I would have just thought that I would
have discounted that base because I didn't want to hassle
them, didn't want to ask, I didn't want to.
I didn't feel comfortable doing it.
I felt too British and just just just doing that thing where you
just you just don't want to bother them.
So you feel like you don't, but because it's on an app, you feel
it's more accessible because you can just take the option and
then your food's custom made for you and you you pick it up.
For me, I, I almost think that my Disney experience, if you're
doing a Disney park, I think that is the number one app that
anybody should have. Without a doubt, that should be
the top of everybody's list. Because it's not, it's not even
just the food, is it? Right.
There's all the little bits of, oh, I wonder how I'm supposed to
get to that ride. I'll use the GPS map and I'll
ask you for the directions. You know, it's there's things
like that in there that I guess not everybody uses.
If you're a frequent traveller to Disney World, then you know,
know that route anyway. But I think it's just like the
vast wealth of information that's in that app from multiple
sources and multiple use uses that you have from it is just
post it right at the top of the list.
You almost need it anyway, I think, but it it it's just a
benefit anyway, even if you are. If it's something, if it's your
first trip or not, it, it's one of those ones where actually you
can go on it and like like where's the nearest restroom?
You can put it in and it, it will show you all of those on
the list or on the map. First aid centre.
Where do you need to find this? Where's the shop that someone's
talking about can type the name in and go, I'm here.
How do I get from here to here? And also it works from resort as
well. So wait, if you're staying on
Disney property and you're looking for like the buses you
think towards or against the bus stop, it'll tell you the bus
times. So you don't, you can either
rush because you know it's going to be there in like a minute or
you can go actually that's just 15 because we'll be a little
while for the next 1. So it's things like that.
There's so much information in there that it caters to pretty
much anyone. That's some Disney property.
And if you are staying on site, you've got the hotel benefits.
So where you've got charging sort of room facilities, so you
can keep an eye on that. If you've got the dining plan,
the quick service and and the full dining plan where you can
see keep on saying that the credits that you're using
instead of because before I think the app you could, it was
just print out on your receipt when you'd ordered something.
So it's much easier now, but especially if you're in a family
that people can go off and using credits, using their phones,
using the magic bands, the you can still keep an eye on what
people are spending. I'd say it is quite easy to tap
your magic band away and then realise how much you're spending
when you get back to the hotel. So I I gave up on the room
charging capability when they had the problems with credit
cards that would reach the limit and then drop off the
reservation. That was just enough for me to
switch to using Apple Pay wherever I went in Disney then
yeah, it's it's good that it's in the outright.
I just think that the, the, the coverage of that app and just
puts it at the top, absolute top of the list.
And I think the the other parks like Universal, they've got on
our SeaWorld, they've got on our and I think they've got decent
coverage for what the parks have there, but I don't think they're
quite as broad as Disney's coverage and I think.
Universal is getting that universal.
Is displaying that, yeah. Because that's how you been
doing. But I'll order food there now.
Yeah, we've we've used the past couple of years.
So I, I think as a minimum, if you're going to visit Universe
or Disney or both those, the parks apps for those parks
should be top 2 apps that you should definitely have if
nothing more than for looking at wait times and looking at food
menus and ordering food sort of thing.
They're worth it just for that. Aside from all of the other
things that they bring to font of all.
In the chat is the food and wine app for the Epcot festivals.
It is amazing and and it's not just for the food and wine it's
the app is called food and wine, but it's for all of the ecot
festivals. It gets updated with all of the
latest menus, but also it's community based.
So people that use the app can submit their own photos of of
the food so you can see what food is being served up and you
can give it ratings. But I, I like it as a good way
of just going like before we go, you have we got any must do's
that we want to eat? Then we can tick on those and go
like, OK, we've got 50 items now that are once a week over these
two week period wet. Are we are we going to let's
narrow it down. Let's work out what what what
actually have we had before and go like, OK, that was nice but
let's try something new this time.
But it it's a app that I think that goes hand in hand with
anybody who's going to an Echo Festival because.
There's. So much in there for food and
drink. That is interesting.
It's good they've expanded it out from it just well, I think
obviously from the name it was intended to be food and wine and
now it's just become more of like a general festivals app.
But I think the fact that you're the ratings that people apply,
it almost gives you a sense of I'll maybe know what to expect
from something here. You know the prices because
they're kept up to date. There's photos that, as you say,
are user supported and added. So it it gives you something
that's pretty realistic. It's not a photoshopped image.
It's somebody that's been and had that item uploaded a picture
to it. They've given their genuine
feedback. I think it's a really good
reference piece because that is something that the Disney app
doesn't include, right? Is the booth info for festivals?
That is, that is always distinctly missing from my
Disney. Experience there's no prices
they they talk about every time we open the app doing like like
food and wine. There's always talk of sort of
food and wine what what merchandise you can buy and the
there are these are highlighted items, but there's no details of
everything else and whether it's what the price is what's in it.
SNAP credit eligible because if you've got the dining plan,
going to Epcot festivals is very good use of your credits.
Yeah, I think they even the favourites in there as well,
right. Yeah, I think you can favorite
and go Oh yeah, I want that. I'll favorite those items and
build your own like tick list of.
Things menu. Is like the tasting menu of what
I want to try. Yeah, Yeah.
And also helps you budget as well because you've got the
prices. It's a good thing to work out if
you are doing that thing where a lot of people like to do.
If you've got the dining plan, you try and beat the dining plan
to make it the best value. So actually you look at like
what's the highest price items or if you like us, we might, we
won't have a dining plan, but we'll have like a budget of what
we've set. So we can work out that we're
keeping to budget and not just going to Epcot and filling up on
food and spending $400.00 in the process.
Because I think that's probably what we what could easily happen
if we if everything that was on the list.
So that's just covered the flights.
Yeah, and Disney. The theme parks themselves let's
quickly do don't forget. You get the most yeah, yeah.
Mobile Passport control, if you go in into MCO, it is it just
saves so much time and effort. It it's a must do.
I know we've covered, we covered that earlier in the in the year
on the podcast, but if you don't know what mobile passport
control is, download the app it, it will just save your life from
having to be in that immigration queue.
It's well worth it. Simon, you mentioned a well
about, about using Apple Pay as well-being a grumpy old person
that I am, I'm not, I'm not a great lover of things like that,
but actually Apple Pay, when you're over in the States and
you've got you get yourself set up again.
It's one of those things that just makes things so much more
simple. No, and that Apple Apple Pay is
actually a super secure payment. Method.
Yeah, and that's what I was about to say.
It's not a. Used or genuine card for the
transaction. So it's much more secure option.
You know, we, we travelled to California probably 10 years ago
on on a trip and I had my credit card cloned in South LA and it
it was pretty clear that it was a gas station that I'd use my
credit card in that that was when it got cloned because it
was one of only three places that I'd used in the whole of
California physically at the machine.
So, yeah, anything that gives a secure payment method for me is
really, really good. But sorry, Jon, lying.
I interrupted. No.
No, that's, that's exactly what I was about to say, Simon,
because I with you having the actually the horrible experience
to back it up. It is one of those things that
you know, unless you go in and you're only using cash, always
be very, very weary of using your credit card anywhere.
Because I, I am so aware, you know, it doesn't matter how many
times you get told it can, it can be scat, it can be skimmed.
And it's horrible because if you're relying on a credit card
for the rest of your holiday and it's suddenly you've got, you've
got, you've had it closed or whatever, it doesn't, it doesn't
allow you that wriggle room for you to spend.
So again, just bear, bear it in mind.
But I'm, I'm with you, Simon. I think Apple Pay is just a
really brilliant way. I want to add actually with
whatever card you're deciding to use out there, whether credit,
debit, whatever 1 you decide is, it is the card you're using.
You're not using Apple Pay. What you can do is on your
phone, keep an eye on your banking app.
You can freeze the card when you're not using it.
So you can set limits, so you can only allow chip and PIN or
you can only allow contactless, you can set limits.
Suppose banks offer that facility now.
So if you are just using the card for it and that also goes
for prepaid. We've used like Revolut, Monzo,
Starling, I think it was Caxton FX, not sure whether it's still
around, but that's one, that's one.
We use 2014. We used it once and never again
but we had money loaded onto the card.
Went to buy something universal and it was like Nope couldn't
get the funds. It was like I could see it on
the app that the money was there and so I went outside to try and
get nearest ATM tried to get the money out.
Nope we've just rejected it. Cost a team member.
Universal paid for our meal that day.
We went back to went back to the hotel.
I called their support and they just said like, oh, we're not
open till tomorrow morning now. So we had no money.
Everything was stored on there a few hours ago by I just was able
to go on to like their web app and transfer it to a different
card I had but that was used as a prepaid card at the time.
Thinking like we'll put everything on one card, not
thinking about the it's. Have a backup.
Yeah. Having a backup, backup
payments, whether just different cards, different ways of paying,
taking cash. And it was towards the end of
holidays, I think we just exhausted the amount of cash
that we add on us. But in the end it was OK.
But yeah, it's just one of those things that you don't think
about until it happens to you. A bit like you Simon about
having your card clients. Mine was, he was in the last few
days of the holidays and they were frantically calling me when
I'd already come home that it had been used in just on just
near the border with Mexico heading to Tijuana.
And and it was, it was people trying to buy stuff from a
Walmart. They were trying to buy ATVI
think because it was about $800.00.
So I couldn't imagine they were trying to buy ATV in the store,
but yeah. As we mentioned Apple Pay,
actually Walmart is the one place that has always been
hesitant to accept that. It does not accept you have to
put your chip and pin in for that or I think in New States
they do. In the UK we can get access to
the app to set up their own contacts payment system.
Every time that I have done I've always had a chip and pending.
Yeah, that's worth knowing. Yeah.
Although I tend, I tend to make sure if we go to Walmart, I
always pay cash. It's just one.
Yeah, it's just one. It's one of them places.
I just say, yeah, I don't get on, don't get on don't get on
with Walmart very much. I'm I'm just aware I'm I'm I'm
sort of picking moving us moving us here then everywhere.
But since we're going to Orlando, can I very much
recommend my what my one most recommended app for the whole of
this show is the weather bug app.
Now, since Claire's not on the show and we won't get told off
them. Therefore, for talking F1, Ben,
on on Sunday, I actually opened the weather bug app and then you
reset my, reset my, my place where I'm sitting to Miami.
And I was actually trying to find out whether or not we were
going to get rain in the Miami Grand Prix.
And the second one, yeah. And it was, it was actually on
the TV. All the commentators were busy
giving it, oh, there's going could be rain in about 15
minutes. And I'm like the rain's going
the opposite way. The the actual app itself, the
radar on the app is so brilliant and you get to see where the
nearest bits of lightning are. And on Sunday, you know they
come take this. Oh, if there's lightning,
they'll stop the rest rubbish. The nearest bolt of lightning
was like 300 mile away. So again, you knew what it's
happening. But in real terms, when you're
in a theme park and we found this, we found this last year on
our our day in epic. If you actually track the way
that the storm and irrespective of what time in August you go
Orlando, you know there will be a storm, but we could track the
direction of it. So whilst we were sheltering and
being sensible and not being outside during thundering like
this storm, we knew that that storm was going to be passing by
quite quickly. So we actually knew that we
could get out and we could get into a queue to try and save
ourselves someone valuable queuing time.
And irrespective of the cast members or team members, Epic
turning around to us and saying no, no, rides are not open.
No, we're not opening, no, no Township.
And we just stood there because we knew which way the weather
was going. And in true American accuracy,
it was absolutely spot on. We at one point, we actually
knew, we could feel that. We actually felt the ground
shake at one point was like, oh, that bolt lightning was a bit
close. It was in the car park at Epic.
And actually it just showed it was within half a mile of where
we were SAT. And I'm like, the actual
technology evolved and that is just so amazing.
But it is so accurate. And, and I think that that for
me is, you know, and I don't know about you guys, but I'm
pretty sure in the UK you look at the weather forecast and you
think, no, I'm probably better just look in the sky and make me
a decision of exactly what's happening.
All the bank holiday weekend I was looking at the weather app
on my phone and it kept saying it was going to be grey or rainy
and to be honest it wasn't. We had a lovely weekend
sunshine, it was just overnight. There was 1/2 an hour during the
evening that it was rain, but the Apple weather apps had to go
the whole days training. And as she looked further detail
into it, it gives you that as like the worst case scenario.
So you, you plan, but you actually, you think actually
that's not going to happen. So you, you are right, John.
It's very different in Orlando. We last year used, we usually
use the AccuWeather app because it gives the next 4 hours of
rain. So normally it's good at picking
up the next storms. So when you're trying to work
out. And we used that last August and
it was relatively accurate, especially when we got to the
evenings and when we were thinking, OK, it's not a night
for Starlight because, oh, I feel sorry for people that have
paid for a party because it's going to be rained out.
There was quite a few times that we changed our plan or we worked
out what we're going to do in the evening instead of going to
parks and working out what we're doing in the parks for that.
No, I think, I think it's, I think we're on to something.
And I think Simon, have you got a preferred weather app because
because again. We seem like AccuWeather.
Yeah, I think if you rely on the the basic worm like app on the
phones, the weather app on iPhones is pretty rubbish.
It's not, it's not great at forecasting.
So I think something that is more specific and uses the local
weather station reporting is tends to be a bit more accurate.
Yeah, AccuWeather would be would be my first, first pick, but I
think there is, I think there is one that just picks up on
lightning strikes as well, isn't there?
Yeah, it's on weather school. Yeah, I love that.
It's that for me. It's just I think.
There's another one called something just like lightning or
something. Like that there is because
that's, that's the other one as well.
You know, when you sat there and you're thinking, so how, how
close am I to actually being in danger?
You. You, you sit.
There, we're walking there when it's like it's really loud and
it's really like, OK, we want an Epcot.
And we walked in and it was it was bright blue sunshine.
We got to was at World Showcase and there's loads of birds just
flying away from Echo. It was like, and it was coming
over really dark. Within minutes they were closing
everything outdoors and I've never seen rain or a storm like
it. It was.
It was.
Or is that birds? Yeah.
And I would actually, there's something in that, Ben and
Beckett, because actually, you know, when again, in this
country, you kind of think, oh, well, yeah, all right, it might
rain, might not rain. But when you're there, you know
that there's something within the atmosphere, you can feel it
yourself. And actually that's the thing to
just be very aware of. If you even if you don't have
any of these apps, just be so aware you can you can sense it
coming. And it's like, it's like that
real sort of pressure cooker feeling.
And at some point it's just going to pop to the extent that
you are going to get wet, you are going to need to find
shelter because they're going to be like they've had very quickly
and actually don't try and be don't try and be a hero and
decide that I will. We'll be all right.
You'll be OK kids, because actually you won't be.
And actually you're putting yourself in danger.
You're putting other self other people in danger.
If you're in a villa, irrespective of whether or not
you've got a lanai above you, do not go and swim during that
time. Get out of the pool, don't find
somewhere to shelter that is not indirect, that you're not going
to be in direct danger. And I think loads of people
forget. They forget that and you.
Also if you're staying in a Disney hotel, it's usually about
7 miles away in which they will ask you to leave the premises,
which is. You stay very good on that.
Don't complain about it. Don't try this out.
It's it's fine. It's not even raining.
Do as you're told. It's one of, you know, it's one
of those things that the safety part of it is it just.
Quite possibly using the same app, the same app as weather bug
just to like get the information and just you know how close it
is. And it's a safety thing.
It's much rather be safe and enjoying the holiday if I have
to be at the pool for an hour. Yeah, I was, I was.
We were staying at Orange Lake two years ago and that was just
the first couple of days and we were around the pool.
And again, because it had like buildings all around, we, we
couldn't see what was happening. But actually it was the, the
storm was actually right above us.
And by the time the whistle went to get people out of the pool,
the actual, the the first bolt of lightning must must have been
very, very close because there were a lot of families, a lot of
American families especially, who I would imagine were much
more used to it than I was. They were absolutely petrified
as to how close that storm had got to them.
But we already knew because Josh was working and said, oh, and
then Arnold Kingdom, I've been told storm incoming.
But we we were just, we were in the Pope.
But yeah, we're in the pool. And yet, yeah, it was right
overhead. And actually, I actually felt
that he's gone to Orange Lake Guest Services and complained
about it. I think that I, I, they called
it way too late and those people were actually departing.
That was when the bolt lightness struck.
And I'll never forget it because it absolutely, it was at one of
the moments in life and you're thinking, Oh my word, this is
this is far more dangerous than a situation that I want to be
in. And that's the thing, all it
takes is a few minutes. It doesn't take long to clear a
hole to make announcements to do it.
So it's, it is what is one of one of those things you don't
think about until, until you're there.
And then then it happens because we never thought about it until
we'd like our first trip. And like on sites like, oh,
what's what's going on here? It's just, it's something you
just don't think about stuff. In nature now, yeah.
That is true. And I'm trying to think what
other apps I've used before in sort of not banning, but even
just keep information I was used to use.
It was Gatwick or Heathrow apps for when we're doing the
parking, the car parking and no one would have left the car.
And just those sort of information that how many times
that we need to make sure that we've got the the just the
little barcode so you can scan and to get your car back and to
make sure you've paid and all of that sort of thing.
Because it's not it's all done on your number plate, your
registration plate. But then sometimes we had once
we come back and we had 80 percent, 1800 lbs.
It said we we got to the gate right at the end.
Your balance is 1800 lbs. But we've we've paid 100.
We've already paid £140.00 for the golf.
Why is it is that? Yeah, it's more what happened is
we've extended the date for like a day.
So I've booked it for the for the 14 nights, but I've booked
it but not the day coming home. So I called them up and so they
changed it to a new booking reference and they said, yeah,
that's all fine, it'll all be done when you get that went
picked up keys are drove to the end.
And it was like it took a few minutes.
There's a big queue behind us while pressing the buttons and
like, I can't pay £1800. I've already paid a part and I'd
already paid like the extra £50 for the waiver charge.
It was that, it was the difference and it was just like,
that's not what you want when he's yet like you've loaded up
your car and everything and. Sounds like they're driving.
So they cancelled your parking thing and then it had just gone.
You entered On this date 2 weeks ago.
Therefore the the hourly rate charge for standard Heathrow
parking is 1800 lbs. Absolutely insane.
Yeah, the one that I've I use a lot, Especially if we're we're
doing other things like we're visiting other places in and
around theme parks. For me, I love planning like
things to see, food, places to go to, and TripAdvisor is really
good for doing that. The TripAdvisor that because you
can do it on a map and you can favorite everything.
It really allows you to like focus on one particular area and
say, I'm going to save this as part of a trip, this one
particular location. And then it saves all of those
favorite points of things to do, places to go, places to eat, and
I favour all of those items in there.
And then I've got a quick reference when we might rock up
somewhere and go, oh, where we're going to eat here.
Don't worry, I've saved 20 different restaurants that I can
quick. Reference.
Yeah. So I'm that I that as a pre
planning thing for me is really good at just finding restaurants
that I know like I've seen the menu, I've seen the location, I
know roughly what the price range is and that we're, we're
going to find something to eat. And it's not too far from where
the the vicinity we're in. So I've used that all over the
place, not just Orlando, but other places in America and all
through Europe as well. So that generally for me is one
that I will use wherever we go on holiday, whether that's a
Disney park and theme park trip or somewhere else.
The last two for me because. They haven't.
Really found Lyft, Lyft and Uber.
Yeah, yeah. And the Co hire one as well
actually, because with 6th and Hertz, it's just easy to say
that you're a gold member or whatever partnership membership
is that it's just easy because I remember last time it was quite
easy that we did the online check in to pick up our car.
When we got there it was like landed open the 6th app gone on.
I'm here and they just said, yeah, you're here, you've
arrived. These choice of cars which.
One. Which one do you want?
You choose the choice. Yeah, yeah, the car keys are in
it. Yeah, pretty much that was as
and then you just drive out, show your driving license and
and off you go. So it's quite handy and also
they do use that sometimes to book as long as you get offers
and if you're using you're logged in with your account.
But it's quite useful. The other that was used before
was Garden Grocer or Instacart. So you can do like deliveries
for groceries to your hotel and that that's been quite useful
the last few years. Once we end up being on a late
flight with family and it was like just, we landed just under
3 hours late and by the time we got to Coronado Springs,
everything for food was closed. It was like we got in 5 to 11.
So I think even the gift shop had just closed so and it was
like we all had no food. We had the dining plan.
We we couldn't even get refillable mugs for the
following morning. But luckily I had a garden
grocer with like bottles of water, Pringles and just some
general snacks. So it was like it's just split
what we can out a month. I have a.
Packet of bungles Should I drive her to the morning I?
Think everyone was just tired of that point.
It was just you, you, you don't think about it when you get
there some what times these especially on a later flight and
if you've got a delay when things can close.
I think the one we had was DoorDash and I've, I don't know
whether you can download that now as an overseas visitor
because I think it disappeared off the European App Store, but
I can't. You can use the web app though.
You can use it online on the web.
OK, do that way to do it. So I think it's still
accessible, but yeah, it's not as easy as Uber Eats, but.
You've pretty much gone through my phone now.
That's about everything. I've got Uber.
Uber, Yeah. I always find Lyft was always
cheaper than Uber. Yeah, yeah.
And if you can play both of them off against each other, I think
one thing to just be aware of, and this is again, going back to
whether or not you what you put as your, your currency on your,
the Uber app in particular is if you've got a separate card.
And, and I'm only speaking from McMillan experience, when we go
to the States, I have to change the card from the one that I
would use in the UK purely because it's a, an American
card. You pay in dollars.
And then if you use me credit, if you use me credit card from
this country, you get charged a little bit of a fee every time.
And, and again, it's it's that bit that you can actually plan
ahead to just again, just save yourself.
It's not, it's not mega, mega amounts of money, but it's those
are little bits where you you're thinking, I forgot all about it.
And then you check, you check credit card statement and you're
like, that was such a stupid waste of.
And again, if you, you know, if you use either, I've got a
Halifax Clarity card which basically just charged
everything in dollars. You can, you can use your
revenue or whatever, but make sure if you you're paying in
dollars, don't incur those extra fees by so make sure.
You use the right card. Yeah, yeah, it's yeah.
It's so annoying when you forget.
I've done it before they actually had a card on this and
like Uber once but it re registered for the app because I
changed phones. I hadn't logged in with it and
it updated to like use my PayPal.
I was like oh I'll just pay whatever.
And I was like only when I realise I swear I think I have
the card what will happen. I looked and was like oh PayPal
and here's a fee for paying in a different currency and they can
take their own cut as well. And it was like, no, that was an
expensive Uber. Yeah, it's annoying because it's
avoidable, but it's it's again, it's one of those things that
you completely forget about. Yeah.
And again, it'll be the same thing I'll forget about until
I've used Uber. And then it was I'd be like.
Yeah. And it's fun of those things if
you're, even if you're not going soon, download the Lyft app and
the Uber app because if you've not used them before and you we
get quite frequent and so offers, I tend to get like an
e-mail once every couple of months.
Yeah, like it's 10% off to use in the next month.
So I'm not going yet, but I know by the time that we go in
September, there'll be one. Yeah.
That's that's a really good, good point as well, Ben, because
actually by actually having it already on your phone that that
basically look for your custom, they think you're going
elsewhere. So again, play the game because
and actually play them off against each other.
So because they don't care. They're just looking for for
whatever. But you can do again, before you
even go up across to America, if you're thinking about maybe
planning, you know, depending on where you're staying, if you're
staying off site, especially how much, how much is it going to
cost me if we go to Disney Springs for a night and we don't
want to take the car? And actually, you can sit there
and you can actually play about with it.
Make sure you, you in your head, you, you get yourself to Florida
time and things like, because generally, you know, about this
time mid afternoon, it's quite cheap.
But if you go for evenings and and look at how you can actually
just look at how much it will cost on on certain days of the
week, it does help just sort of see whether things are actually
doable, you know, So, yeah. We were there a couple of years
ago, I think around Christmas and we didn't have a car and we
were using Uber to go from the airport to hotel.
And because of search pricing, last time we got there it was
like $90.00 for 30 minute ride and then 10 minutes later it
went down to 47. So it's like book it now as and
as it dropped that much. But there was also an option to
schedule your ride. So we had the option because we
weren't going to and at Epcot the following morning.
Or do I book it early because it's Christmas Day, it would be
better to do it in the end. I didn't I saw the price that
they wanted like an extra $20.00.
I thought it was going to cost weight in the morning.
We were up early for breakfast, a boardwalk and looks on the and
just booked it there and then. It was really quick, really easy
and it was cheaper. So you can pay to schedule a
ride if you want to and if you want to know that it's booked
and it's is done for that and but sometimes taking the risk
can save you a little bit of money.
I just checked my phone there, Ben, and I'm just looking at
things. The one thing we haven't
mentioned is that and I know we mentioned in January show about
when you get to Orlando as well. If you rent the car, the visitor
toll pass is app is app only based.
Again, it will save you being ripped off by a car hire company
because it then means that you're in charge of how many
tolls you go through. You just pay the toll.
You don't pay any service, charger anything like that.
You pay $10 deposit for the Hannah and then you put it back
in. You get that we've we've worked
out for our trip. We're going into Orlando and
leaving at Tampa. We've worked out still going to
be cheaper for us to lose that $10 than it is to go with our
car hire company who wants was it 1299 a day plus whatever you
spend. Yeah.
So that's. That's well worth.
It's well worth remembering and and again, I actually think this
is something that's been put in place for tourists.
It's something that is a really has made a massive, massive
difference. And again, alongside that, the
mobile passport control, there's the two things that when you you
arrive at the airport and you feel like it or not, you might
feel that little bit of stressed because you've had a long
flight. You now get, you know, you know,
in that position where you won't be in the hotel, you won't be in
the pool or you even want to be in the parks and you're in that
bit where you know, everyone's, everyone's a bit cranky after,
you know, 9 hour flight and stuff like that.
So these two things will make it a little bit easier for you.
I've just thought of another brilliant app that would that
again is, is 1, which I, I it's my one of my go to every single
day of the year. It doesn't matter where I'm
because I look in the sky, I see a plane and then they go to the
flight radar 24 hour and it's just one of them things.
But when you're actually in the airport, you actually know when
your plane actually is arriving into the airport because your
flight radar 24. And when someone, someone at the
the desk doesn't know that your incoming flight is delayed, you
already know because you know that the flight that's coming in
is running two hours late. And you can tell them it's
quite, it's quite a quite a it's a nice experience.
Yeah. They say, oh, you'll be boarding
at. This time and like, no I won't.
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And what's quite nice about it
is if you get, and, and again, I know we, we do this quite a lot
amongst each other is when somebody actually departed, you
can actually watch the plane. You know, if, if nobody's live
streaming it, you can actually watch somebody take it off on
their holidays because you can watch it on the flight radar up
as, as the plane is literally moving along the runway to take
off and then you're watching their route across to Orlando.
It is, it is. It's quite addictive, I must
admit. It's one of those.
It is. I remember on the job in your
first job when you been went back after COVID, I was like I'm
working but on now I've got OK, now where, where is it plugged?
Yeah. I must have, I'm really I'm
really bad. I'm really bad for it because
actually I think it's it is such a really good app and, and
actually you then yeah, go and explore it because there's loads
of really good hidden stuff on it that you can yeah, you can
then go and see which airports got the biggest delay of that
day and things like that. So.
I always used to use it just like building up to when I'll
put in the flight number. OK, what's the history like the
past seven days of four? Am I likely to get there earlier
or later than planned? And then I'll end up using this.
Here's an app called Flighting where you can put in all your
flight details and everything and it would do something very
similar. How many times we go to the
airport and it will just tell you like, well, this is your
gate number and you go like, well, it's not on the screen
yet. I'm going, well, that's our gate
number. And every time I'll be able to
go like, yeah, that's on and, and it will match and it will
match. And it's just one of those.
I don't know. I don't know why I like to know
what my gate number is before everyone else, but it's one of
those. I think there's one app we have
mixed quite an obvious one, and it's probably on everyone's
phone already, the podcaster. So make sure you're.
Listening to us. Yeah, it's very great.
Whether you're just on YouTube or wherever you.
Are I see what you did goodness, but make sure, but make sure you
download them, download them onto your phone before you get
on, because you don't want to be in that position where you're
thinking, Oh, I'm going to listen to I'm going to listen to
the great British makes you awful.
You get that? It's like, oh, I need Wi-Fi.
Yeah. So make sure you're following,
make sure that you've got, if you've got YouTube Premium, you
can do that or video downloads if you like, but also you just
listen on the podcast. Just make sure you've got you're
following the show and downloads have enabled because you've
listened to quite a few podcasts.
So that's quite a lot of. Podcasts from the flight.
Yeah, I think what we, yeah, it's it's something different to
you never quite sure what you're going to get on in flight
entertainment. So it's.
Always good to have a backup. I'd love to know if anyone
actually listening to this show on a podcast in the future
that'd be that'd. Be quite real, wouldn't?
It it would, yeah. But I want to say just a huge
thank you to John Becker, Simon, and everyone in the chat for
tonight for just sharing all of these sort of different apps
that you use and all these different tips.
And I just not answered this. We've got a question in the
chat, and it was from Heather actually.
And do we ever go to SeaWorld? Oh, Heather knows Heather knows
how to press my buttons on that one.
We've been once. In 2013 and we've never returned
yeah yeah. Not that we would never return,
I just. I'm just going to.
SeaWorld. If you're British, you'll
understand this reference. Going to SeaWorld was very much
like going to Chessington. Yeah.
I think it's a bit better than Chessington.
Go on this. We haven't been around.
If you want to go, if you want to go on rides, some of the
rides are really good, right, I'll get over that.
But if you've ever watched, if you ever watched Blackfish and
if you haven't watched Blackfish, I would encourage you
to go and watch Blackfish on whatever TV channel it's on.
It is the most amazing insight as to animals in the wild going
a little bit sky. The other thing as well is there
was a, there was a polar bear there.
And the reason we've never returned is when our eldest son
Josh and we he probably would have been, I think it'd be about
10 when we when we went there and he actually came away and he
said, I don't want to go back. And this is your own kid, that
your own kid at 10 years old saying I don't want to go back.
And I'm like, well, why you said because I see that that polar
bear. Yeah.
Thank you. Disney Hunt.
Yeah. It's just like the polar bear
just looked just so forlorn. And he was he was feeding off
that. And I thought, you know, so if
me 10 year old kids say he doesn't want to go back there
and fair enough, I'm not buying the ticket for that again.
And, and actually that was that was our departure point from it.
And it probably would have been about that.
I think it'd probably be about. The same time as you guys, same
time giving advice. Yeah, it's just one of those.
We did it once with the honeymoon when we've just bought
every single ticket and we were trying to go to like every day,
didn't realize how far, how difficult it was trying to fit
everything in two weeks. But it's just never been
something that appealed for us to go back.
I felt like we did what we did on the day.
I enjoyed what we did. I wasn't sort of a ride junkie
back then. I wasn't into into like extreme
riots. So now go man.
Now the ride would be my focus, but nothing else.
We we have we've been quite a few times to SeaWorld, yeah,
we've had annual passes for SeaWorld.
I think the the The thing is that SeaWorld do lots of their
if their seasonal events really well, Yeah.
And. Yeah, I'd agree with that.
Like their Christmas period, they have their own food and
wine type festival as well. And they, they have some of
their food. I would say is, is probably
better than some of Disney's food and wine offerings a lot of
the time. And their Christmas event is,
really is really good. Whether you agree or not with
the the captive animals thing, I think there is, you know, we
could go into a big long debate about there's elements.
I think if you love extreme rides like SeaWorld and his
partner Busch Gardens, that they are going to win hands down in
the extreme, the volume of extreme rides in. 100%.
In a short, in a kind of small, smallish theme park, right.
They've they've got the highest volume across those two parks.
And I think those are definitely worth going for if you're an
adrenaline junkie, because I don't I don't think you will
find better roller coasters than you get at SeaWorld.
Oh, surely agree. That.
I think that's where SeaWorld should go ultimately, you know,
just my opinion is that they can talk about lots of aspects of
conservation without having some of the captive aspects of their
parks. It's just kind of, I think it's
a lingering legacy that they carry.
But I, I, I sense from going to SeaWorld more recently that it's
what one that they are shifting the the dialogue.
Yeah, how they present that? Yeah, yeah.
And I think that's the thing as, but anyone who goes to anywhere
they've ever been before, haven't been for a while is
something that you look into. If it's something that you want
to do on your holiday, go and do it.
If anyone from SeaWorld, if anyone from SeaWorld is actually
listening to this and wishes to change my mind, then do get in
touch because we, you know, I'm prepared.
I'm prepared to have my mind changed.
Because again, I'm with you, Simon.
I think for an adrenaline junkie, roller coaster wise, it
is in Orlando, it is the best of all the parks.
It's just the fact to getting over the previous experiences
regarding animals, which in itself if you look at, you look
at Disney and we can open that little can of worms.
If you look at Animal Kingdom, you look at cart, the animals,
etcetera, we could go on forever.
And then and then know this becomes a very contentious
issue. And I think I'll probably put
that to bed now and just say, look, there we go.
But yeah. If you fancy it, go for it.
Now go here for roller coasters. Yeah, just he was saying
everyone for everyone's contribute tonight's show.
If you watch it on YouTube, don't forget if you've got your
phone scan the QR code on screen that you take us to our website
where you can find everything we've got from everything we we
do here at the great British Mickey Waffle, including our
Facebook community. What was arms?
So by the conversation continues, and I'm not exactly
sure. And also Ben, but also don't
forget because actually we missed this last, but we missed
missed it last week because it hadn't come out the 1st 1st of
the month show, which is an absolute showstopper.
Get get your get your apple notes ready because you will end
up with a list of things that you won't want to miss in in the
theme parks the next time you're there.
It is brilliant. And actually even listening to
it back, I think we missed one or two things as well.
So again, it's one that we can update again in the future
because it really was just an absolutely incredible show to
record. And it comes across, it's just
like there's like, I think there's like moments that you
might have missed, but they come at you so quickly.
You need to make a note of them. Yeah, there there are so many
things that you said earlier in the show, John, about I think we
discussed about the books and everything that you could fit
into a book that you'd see in Disney World.
And looking forward to the future shows over the coming
months, we are going to be covering not only sort of what
you could see in what they said, well, what you could smell and
what you can hear. Sensory overload, I think that's
what we're going to do, yeah. Yeah, the topic.
So we look forward to seeing you all in the Whoppers arms.
If you've enjoyed today's show, don't forget to like, subscribe.
If you're listening on the podcast, don't forget to leave
us. A rating and review really helps
us as a channel grow and we can't wait to see you next time.
So we'll see you soon. Yeah.