ArcaMax

Anyone who has ever stood in a long line at Disney World knows this preplanning is no small thing. It's a huge improvement over FastPass, which allowed you to get a specific time to return to certain popular attractions to avoid the line. However, with FastPasses they would often be exhausted by mid-morning and you could only get one every few hours.

Now, with the new FastPass-plus you can book three in advance and three more once you've used those. And you can change your plans as you go on your mobile app or at the designated kiosks in the park.

The good news: The number of experiences you can pre-book has doubled to more than 60. The bad news: The experiences are "tiered" so you might not be able to pre-book your top picks in each park. If you have a park hopper ticket, you can't book additional experiences until you get to the next park on your agenda.

I know, it sounds complicated and a lot of work. But it's a lot easier than navigating long lines on a hot day or listening to crying kids who are disappointed they didn't get to hug their favorite Disney character.

That's why guests are already embracing the system big time with 40 percent more FastPasses being used, according to Disney executives. To date, some 50,000 people have pre-booked rides for Magic Kingdom's new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train family coaster and it doesn't even open until later this month.

"It makes the entire trip a lot less stressful," said Tiffani Eisenhauer, here with her family from St. Louis.

The MagicBands de-stress the experience for kids, too, said 12-year-old Ethan Morrison, here with his family from Toronto. He's not worried about his parents getting angry if he loses his room key or paper FastPass, he explained.

His older brother Gavin, 14, added, "It saves a lot of time you spent waiting on line."

That's a big part of the idea, Disney executives said. Not only can you personalize your family's experience, but you'll have time to do things you wouldn't have otherwise, said Gary Daniels, who has been helping to shepherd the MyMagic-plus team for the past six years.

Your mobile app's interactive map can tell you waiting times for attractions near where you are, where the characters are and where to eat -- after you peruse the menus and make a reservation, if you like.

Of course, you're bound to forget something -- like that all-important visit with Cinderella, ruefully said Michael Chandler, here from South Carolina with his wife Heather and 3-year-old daughter Lillie.

They were still hoping to make that Magic Moment happen before they headed home.

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If you're going to Orlando, check out Eileen's Kid's Guide to Orlando available on line and from major booksellers. See what Orlando has for young children this summer at www.takingthekids.com and follow Eileen @takingthekids on Twitter and Facebook.

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