I love everything about Disney World! My last trip was in 2018, and I’m currently planning a trip for 2020.
In my planning and my experience, I’ve come across so many tips and tricks for a successful Disney Vacation. Today, I’m sharing my top 13 with you!
(This was actually supposed to be my top 26 tips, but I had too much to say about the first 13, so I split the post into two. You can find the next 13 tips here!)
1) Plan ahead
Know which parks you’re planning on going to each day of your trip and book dining reservations and F
Your trip will go a lot smoother, and you’ll get the most out of it if you have a plan.
If you want to eat at a sit-down table service restaurant, you need a dining reservation. You can book a dining reservation 180 days before the start of your trip and FastPasses 60 days ahead of time if you’re staying on Disney property and 30 days if you’re staying at a neighboring hotel.
For more, check out these 8 things you should plan ahead for in Disney World.
2) Don’t over plan
Disney World is massive. It’s almost impossible to get to everything (unless you’re going for an extended stay). Know what your “must dos” are, what your “would like to dos” are, and which rides and shows you don’t mind missing.
Also, consider trading some activities for rest. If you’re on the go the whole trip, you or members of
3) Use your FastPasses (and use them strategically)
Do not let a FastPass go to waste! You get three per day and that can add up to hours of wait time saved.
But it’s also important to use your F
If you’re planning on getting to the parks when they open, you likely won’t need a FastPass for the first couple hours. Beyond that, consider the times and locations of your FastPasses.
If you want to use your F
But if you want to book Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean, you might want to leave two or three hours in between since they’re a few lands a part. This way, you can go on rides strategically as you work your way to your FastPasses and won’t waste time running back and forth through the park.
For more on FastPasses, check out this post on how to use Disney’s FastPass System.
4) Give yourself extra time for everything
Like we said, Disney World is huge. It takes time to get from park to park, resort to park, or even from one end of the park to another. Give yourself extra time to get to dining reservations, F
5) Don’t be afraid to ask a cast member!
Cast members are there to help you have a magical vacation! Don’t be afraid to ask for anything you need or want. They may not always be able to accommodate you, but if they can, they will! (And there’s a lot they can do for you!)
6) Tell Disney about your food allergies!
If you’re eating in the parks or resorts and you have a food allergy, let your server know! Members of my family have food allergies, and Disney is ridiculously awesome about accommodating special diets.
Most locations have a special modified menu. On top of that, the chief will come out to meet with you to be sure they prepare something you like that meets your diet.
7) Don’t forget the Resorts and Disney Springs
There’s a lot to do outside the parks in Disney World! If you don’t have a
8) Use Disney Transportation
There’s really no reason to pay for transportation once you’re on Disney property (unless you’re running late for something). Disney has a system in place to get you where you need to go.
Every resort has buses that go to each park, water park, and Disney Springs. You can get from one resort to another by hopping the bus to the closest park, then boarding the bus to your desired resort. There’s also, ferries, monorails and (coming in the Fall) the Disney Skyliner.
However, be sure to keep transportation wait times in mind when you’re making plans.
For more on Disney Transporation, check out this post!
9) ALWAYS be polite to the cast members
This is a good rule of thumb in general, but it’s especially true when things don’t go according to plan.
Cast members do their very best to make your trip as magical as possible, but sometimes there are technical glitches, ride malfunctions or other issues that may get in the way of your perfect Disney day.
It’s important to remember that these issues are not the cast member’s fault, so it won’t do any good to be rude or get angry at a cast member.
Beyond that, cast members are often authorized to give you something extra if you are inconvenienced. If you are patient, understanding, and polite, you won’t even have to ask for these things! Cast members will just give them to you.
For example, at my last Disney trip, my family and I got tied up with a computer issue. A task that should have taken five minutes took about fifteen because the computer was slow. We didn’t complain (there wasn’t much to be done about it), and the cast member helping us volunteered to give us an extra FastPass for our wait.
10) You can get free water!
You do not have to pay for water in Disney World! You can certainly buy a bottle of water if you want to, but you can get it for free at any counter service location in the parks. All you have to do is go up and ask, and you will get a free cup of cold water.
Another hack that my family and I use is to buy Brita filtered water bottles. That way you can fill them up at any water fountain and the filter will give you fresh (free) water that’s easier to toss in your backpack than a
11) Consider declining Mousekeeping
If you’re staying at a Disney resort for several nights, you can opt out of the daily housekeeping service, and in exchange, you’ll get a digital gift card. When I did this last year, we got ten dollars a day and I’m hearing that price is still the same.
You can still get your trash emptied and coffee/shower refills as needed, you just won’t get daily cleaning service. I found out about this when I checked in at the desk, but if you check in online, you can call the front desk when you reach your room and ask about opting out.
However, this may not be available at every resort.
12) Don’t carry your purchases around the parks
Carrying your purchases around with you can be annoying at best, and outright cumbersome at worst. If you’ve purchased something big or breakable, lugging it around the park is probably the last thing you want to do.
Luckily, you don’t have to! If you’re staying at a Disney resort and are going to be there for at least another day, you can have your purchase sent to your hotel and pick it up there!
And if you’re not staying in the park, or if you’re leaving within twenty-four hours, you can have your purchases sent to the front of the park to pick up on your way out. (But you should note it takes your items three hours to get to the park pick up location).
13) Look at menus ahead of time
There is SO MUCH good food in Disney World and all of the menus are online! This is true for EVERY Disney food location including snack kiosks, counter service locations, and table service locations.
There are tons of great snacks and restaurants that are exclusive to certain parks and locations, so if you’re looking to indulge in some yummy food, take some time checking out the menus so you don’t miss out.
However, they do change things out regularly so be sure to double check the offerings before you go if you planned way in advance.
Okay, that’s the first
Sound off: What’s your favorite part about Disney World? Tell us about it in the comments!