Disney is a vacation that nearly every family takes in their lifetime. I personally have grown up on Disney. I am a Disney Vacation Club Member (DVC), an Annual Pass-Holder, and I have proudly spent over a year of my life at a Disney Park. I am this invested in Disney, and the best part about all of it is that I don't live in Florida or California. I live right in between, in a suburb of Dallas. The interesting part about people who love Disney is the fact they come from all over the country, and even the world. It doesn't matter where you live, if you love Disney then you LOVE Disney.
There are a lot of people I know that have asked me for advice about going to Disney. I try and share every bit I can, but even I don't know every part about Disney. So here is a list of 37 pieces of advice from avid Disney travelers such as myself, and hopefully we can make your next trip even more magical!
1. Use a Disney Travel Agent to get those hard to get Reservations. They know what they're doing!
Jessie Searles
There will be a million places to eat during your time at a Disney park. Some of the more exclusive places will need 180 days in advance reservation. Sometimes booking a travel agent is the way to go. They will know how to get you those reservations. Also then you won't need to wake up at 7 am 180 days out to get it!
2. Quick Service Dining locations will give you free cups of Ice Water.
The days in the park get HOT. Taking water is great, but get refills on the ice every once in a while! Go into any quick service dining location and get some free ice. Trust me it will make ALL the difference.
3. The parks have free WIFI! Use it!! It will help save battery too.
Here you can see an old WIFI router in the gift shop of Haunted Mansion. There is WIFI at every Disney park and it is free! Log on and it will save you both data and battery life. If your battery is running low, there are charging stations all around the parks. Just check your map for locations!
4. Share Entrees at the parks, Nothing is worse than overeating on a hot day.
Overeating is a dangerous game at Disney. The meals are huge, so unless you have a teenage boy split a meal. It will save you money, and you won't be moving slowly after eating!!
5. Eat breakfast in your room and take snacks into the park, it'll save you money.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and make sure you eat a big one before going into the park! It makes it easier so then you can snack throughout the day in the park, and not spend money on a meal until you need to!
6. Look left and right when going into a line, people generally pick the center line.
Wait times can be long, so look for the queue that the least amount of people are going into. Sounds like a no-brainer! This Disney expert says to look left and right!! Check that before you pick your line.
7. Book Fast-Passes early so you can schedule more throughout the day.
If you have your fast passes set for the morning, once you use all three you can book another one. Don't have them spread out. Keep them booked as close together so you can skip as many lines as possible!!
8. Be flexible, sometimes rides will be closed down.
Jessie Searles
Everyone has the list of rides they want to hit while at a park, but the fact of the matter is stuff will happen. Rides will close, people will drop stuff, and there will be malfunctions. Be flexible and don't let it ruin your trip!
9. Book your fastpasses 60 days in advance if staying on property, 30 days if not.
The earlier you book fastpasses the more likely you will be to get the fastpasses you want! Know when your 30 or 60 day mark is. It will make all the difference
10. Wear comfortable shoes.
It doesn't matter if you think a certain pair of shoes are cute if they will hurt your feet don't wear them!! I generally stick to Tivas, Chacos, or Tennis Shoes in the parks. It will prevent you from getting tired quickly!
11. Stay onsite, look for a free meal plan.
Jessie Searles
When you stay onsite, so much gets included. Free Transportation is a huge benefit. Also depending on the time of year, you may get a free meal plan included!
12. Don't run ride to ride, stroll along and see the sights.
Yes, Disney is about rides, but there are so many other things to do! Character Meet and Greets, Shopping, and even just sitting in a grassy area! Take time and take in the sights.
13. Factor in time to rest during the day.
The thing that will make your Disney trip painful is if you don't take anytime to rest.
14. Don't have unrealistic expectations.
Jessie Searles
The fact of the matter is you won't be able to hit everything. Don't expect that young kids can go all day in the park either. The parks will wear everyone down, make sure you recognize that.
15. Have a solid budget, don't over spend.
DISNEY IS EXPENSIVE!! That is something all of us that avidly go realize. Come in with a budget and don't go over. It will allow for another trip later!
16. Bring your own water bottle!
Even though Disney sells super cute water bottles, don't waste your money. Bring a water bottle, so you don't die of heat stroke. Florida is HOT and HUMID. Especially if you're not used to the weather pack extra water. You will sweat a bunch. They have water bottles all over the park to refill at, take advantage of that.
17. Talk to the people around you while waiting in line for rides. People from all over the world come to these parks.
Jessie Searles
There are people from all over the world who LOVE Disney, and they will travel thousands of miles to come to a park! If you're waiting in line talk to the people around you! Up here is a picture of friends of ours from Canada we met on a Disney Cruise and we got to meet up when we all went to Disney World last! They are friends for life who we never would've met if it wasn't for Disney
18. Don't try to do everything. It isn't possible.
Once again it isn't possible to ride everything so don't come in with the expectation that is what you're going to do. There are so many rides as you can see from this map. Don't stress yourself out trying to hit every last one.
19. Stay on the monorail track if you can.
If you want to stay on property and have the money to be able to stay on the Monorail track do it! It will make getting to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot SO much easier. They're expensive, but a great way to do Disney.
20. Do research before you come.
Know what every park has. Don't come to Disney World expecting to ride the Guardians of the Galaxy Tower ride, and don't go to Disneyland looking for Epcot. Know your parks!
21. If you're doing a Run Disney event do parks after the race not before.
Jessie Searles
If you're doing a Run Disney event make sure to do the parks after your run, so you don't wear yourself out before you even start! You'll be sore walking around the parks, but it is also cool to see all of the other runners in their shirts and medals afterward.
22. If you have enough time, do one park per day.
Don't overwhelm yourself and try and hit two parks in a day. Take it slow and take in the magic of each park. If you're running ride to ride you will miss out on magical moments. Spread your time out at the parks and take it slow.
23. It will probably rain, so plan for that.
In Florida, it rains nearly every day. Prepare yourself for an afternoon shower and plan around that. Maybe hit a long show, do some shopping, or even go back to the room and chill out. Nothing is worse than walking around a crowded park soaked unless it is after Splash Mountain of course.
24. Don't go at peak times unless you have to.
If you can go at any point in the year, avoid holidays, spring break, and summer! It is busy at those times, and wait times will be long. Go at an off-season!
25. Talk to someone who understands Disney! They will give you the best advice.
Someone who is an avid Disney traveler can give you the best advice on how to do the parks. Talk to someone before booking your trip!
26. Go at your own pace.
If you're staying on property take it slow. You may see friends on Facebook that hit all the rides in one day, but if that isn't the pace of your family don't push yourself. Enjoy the resorts and take it easy.
27. Do the air conditioned shows when it is the height of the heat (1-3pm).
Do the shows when it is peak heat time. It will give you a minute to sit in the AC, drink water, and maybe eat some snacks. It will make the difference in the demeanor of everyone in your family.
28. Go to Fantasyland early if you want a hope at hitting Peter Pan and not waiting in line forever.
Peter Pan ALWAYS has a huge line. If you want to ride it, go there first! No idea why it is this way, but every time I am there it is like this.
29. Flower and Garden Festival is a must-see at Epcot!
Jessie Searles
The Flower and Garden Festival is a wonderful time of the year to go to the parks. They have topiaries and flowers everywhere that guests can walk through. If you like the outdoors, it is a must see.
30. See if you can get discounts on the tickets.
There are discounts everywhere online. Look for them!! I use Undercover Tourist. They're an official Disney ticket provider that has BIG discounts. Also, AAA and Costco have big discounts. Look everywhere.
31. If you can don't bring a backpack into the park, it will save time waiting for security.
Disney has beefed up security, so the wait time to get into the park is longer. If you can don't take a backpack or only have one person with a backpack! It will save time not having 4 or 5 people each have a bag checked.
32. Christmas is busy, but magical. Plan you trip accordingly.
Disney is a magical time at Disney, but it is busy. Try and go early December if you can before kids are out of school. You'll have the magic without the wait times.
33. Disneyland is better for younger kids, while Disney World is better for older kids.
Disneyland is focused on younger kids. It has more of the storybook rides while Disneyworld is more thrill focused. WE love both, but always recommend people with young kids to go to Disneyland, while if you have older kids you go to Disneyworld
34. Know about the Switch-Off pass.
The Switch-Off pass is golden if you have young kids. If you have a child who doesn't meet the height requirement for a ride, ask the person at the front of the line for a Switch-Off pass. One parent will wait in line while the other one is with the child, then when Parent One comes off the ride Parent Two will go straight to the front! Great way to have everyone ride the ride!
35. Photo-Pass is worth it to capture your memories
Jessie Searles
Photo-Pass is a great way to capture memories, especially candid ones. We love looking at the ride pictures and all of the fun we had on the trip!
36. If you get Photo-Pass ask for a magic shot.
Jessie Searles
This is one of many magic shots Disney has to offer. Ask any Photo-Pass rep for one, and they will make your picture a little bit more magical!
37. Hit the parks at night, they're different then the daytime.
Jessie Searles
The parks are beautiful at night! Take time to walk around and see the sights. Pandora at Animal Kingdom is especially stunning at night. World Showcase at Epcot as all of the countries lit up, and you can eat your way around the world.
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