Ep. 403 - Christmas Markets Rhine River Cruise w/ Adventures by Disney (Trip Report)

MK no LL Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description We continue our series discussing how to tackle the parks without Lightning Lanes at the park we never visit without Lightning Lane - Magic Kingdom. We discuss why Lightning Lane is so tempting there but how you can enjoy the parks without it. Plus, our favorite times to try to navigate standby lines at the big headliners How do you like to handle Magic Kingdom without Lightning Lane? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 1:42 - Why Lightning Lane at Magic Kingdom is great 4:19 - Rope drop Magic Kingdom procedure 7:35 - How to handle the toughest attractions 13:07 - Rope drop line strategy 18:09 - Lunch and the rest of the day 27:07 - Disney dos and don'ts   If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

Epcot no LL Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description We continue our series discussing how to tackle the parks without Lightning Lanes at our favorite park: Epcot. We pick our favorite entrance and discuss the strategies you can adopt which are entrance dependent. Plus we discuss how nice Epcot is at night and share one of Joe's favorite Disney dos. What do you rope drop at Epcot? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 1:46 - Epcot has two entrances 4:10 - International Gateway rope drop 9:59 - Post rope drop strategy 18:11 - Exiting the park 19:12 - Main Entrance rope drop 21:53 - Post rope drop strategy 26:37 - Which entrance do we prefer? 30:07 - Disney dos and don'ts   If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.

Tips for DL Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description Leslie recently took advantage of the California ticket discount and booked a trip to Disneyland. A lot has changed, including early entry, so she shares some tips from what she learned and experienced that will be super helpful if you're visiting Disneyland this year. Do you have plans to visit Disneyland this year? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:51 - Trip basics 6:00 - Rope drop changes 10:37 - Lightning Lane updates 14:22 - Single pass updates 18:14 - Tips for Guardians of the Galaxy 21:43 - Keeping it fresh 27:14 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

HS w/o LL Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description Hollywood Studios has some of the longest lines at Walt Disney World - can you tackle it without Lightning Lane? We continue our series and talk about the best strategies to navigate Hollywood Studios without Lightning Lane - from where to go at rope drop to where you can even fit in a break. With a good plan and a little luck you can take a (Star) tour of this entire park in one day! What are your tips for tackling Hollywood Studios without Lightning Lane? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 3:32 - Rope drop strategy and procedures 7:32 - Handling the mid morning 11:35 - Lunch 14:03 - Afternoon shows and a break 16:26 - Galaxy's Edge and Mickey and Minnie's 25:07 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

AK w/o LL Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description Do you want to tackle the parks without having to pay for Lightning Lanes? We're starting a brand new series, how to tackle the Disney Parks without Lightning Lane Multi Pass! On today's episode we kick things off with Animal Kingdom, probably the lowest on the difficulty scale. You can have a great day at Animal Kingdom without Lightning Lanes and unlike most of the other parks, you can pretty much do it all. Let us tell you how. What are your tips for tackling Animal Kingdom without Lightning Lane? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:56 - Why Animal Kingdom is the easiest park to skip Lightning Lane 6:43 - Rope drop to lunch 12:31 - Playing it by ear in the afternoon 24:42 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

Disney Inspire Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Joe's Disney Visa referral link Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description New CEO! New President! New Credit Card! Lots of new Disney related stuff so we do a new…..s episode about it. We discuss Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden's promotions and the challenges they are facing as they take over the company from Bob Iger. Then in our second segment we discuss the newly released Disney Inspire credit card - is this finally a Disney credit card worth getting for Joe and Leslie? Are you excited about the new CEO? Or the new credit card? Both? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:23 - Josh D'Amaro and Dana Walden get promotions 6:13 - Why we're excited, challenges they will face 13:33 - Memes 15:22 - Disney Inspire credit card breakdown and thoughts 28:10 - Card designs 30:37 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

New to Disney Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description Joe was recently at Walt Disney World for the annual Travelmation Retreat and got to try three new lounges/restaurants at Disney World, plus the new Zootopia attraction at Animal Kingdom, and some more new to him things in this trip report. Beak and Barrel, Geo-82, Wailulu Bar and Grill - all three did not disappoint! Also, Dinosaur has gone extinct and Joe got to say goodbye. Thanks to all of Joe's clients for all the support in 2025! Have you been to any of the new offerings at Disney World? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 4:16 - Goodbye, Dinosaur 7:40 - Zootopia: Better Zoogether! 11:53 - Plaza Restaurant 14:33 - Theme Park view room at the Contemporary 17:50 - Geo-82, no kids allowed! 23:03 - Beak and Barrel 27:05 - Wailulu Bar and Grill at the new Polynesian Tower 29:40 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

Conventional Wisdom Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description There's a lot of conventional Disney wisdom out there - has some of it gotten outdated? Leslie and Joe buy and sell some of the common advice out there, including discussions about rope dropping, park hopping, waking up early for dining, and even proper footwear. Consider this a tips episode with some commentary on whether we agree or disagree with said tips. Enjoy! What's your favorite bit of Disney conventional wisdom? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:27 - Avoid peak dates 4:42 - Stay off site to save money 7:00 - Skip park hopper 9:09 - Wake up at 6 AM to book your dining 12:05 - Buy Lightning Lane Multipass 13:54 - Get good shoes 15:23 - Pack ponchos 17:02 - Rope drop 18:31 - Build in rest days 21:33 - Buy souvenirs off-site 23:38 - Book a bounceback offer 25:45 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

ABD Christmas Markets Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description Joe took a bucket list trip - Adventures by Disney Rhine Christmas Markets River Cruise. Was it worth the money? Why is Europa Park bizarro Disney? We discuss the Adventures by Disney difference and talk about what it's like experiencing Christmas markets in Europe. Plus, some thoughts on AMA Waterways, river cruising, and the beauty of multi-generational trips. Have you ever considered a river cruise with Adventures by Disney? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:42 - What is Adventures by Disney? 10:55 - River cruising 101 22:45 - Europa Park 27:45 - Christmas markets 36:02 - Overall review of the trip 39:17 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.  

When to Visit Disneyland Find us on Youtube - please like and subscribe!  Looking to plan a Disney World or Disneyland vacation? Let Joe do all the hard work for you, helping you get the best discount, at no cost to you as your travel agent. Get started by e-mailing [email protected] today!  Episode Description Last episode we broke down the best times to visit Disney World, this week we're talking about when to visit Disneyland. Why 2026 might be the year to visit Disneyland and how to avoid crowds when you get there!  When are you planning to visit in 2026? Let us know by e-mailing disneydeciphered AT gmail DOT com, messaging us on social media, or leaving a comment on our Youtube page. You can also follow us on Instagram! Episode Notes (all timestamps are approximate) 2:36 - Why Disneyland is worth visiting in 2026 5:56 - Discounts 12:17 - Month by month breakdown 27:03 - Disney dos and don'ts If we've helped you to plan your trip and you'd like to thank us we'd appreciate you considering a one time donation. Or if you'd like to receive bonus content, check out our Patreon page and our special subscriber only content! You can also support the show by buying tickets (if they're the best deal, of course) using our Undercover Tourist link or signing up for Mouse Dining through our link. If you like what you hear, please share and subscribe! Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, PlayerFM, iHeartRadio, or Google Podcasts (please leave a positive review if you're enjoying the show), like our Facebook page, or follow us on Bluesky and Instagram! Connect with Leslie @TripsWithTykes on social media and Joe @asthejoeflies.