Our Favorite Disney World Tips

There are so many tips for traveling to the Magic KingdomEpcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, but here are the ones we found to be the best.

Cold. Brew. Coffee.

We packed Dunkin cold brew coffee packs in our luggage and filled our water bottles with them as soon as we arrived at the hotel. The next morning, we had a full container of coffee ready to go faster than we could’ve brewed a K-Cup. I am not a morning person, so I definitely needed that boost to get in for the early magic hours with Disney-level energy to match my kiddos!

Stay at the resort.

With so many promotions running and the cost to park a car if you stay offsite, it's not much more to stay on-property these days. The extra perks like free shuttles and magic hours are a must for shorter wait times! We went in May and didn't stand in any lines for more than 10 minutes. The entire time. My kids have NO idea how incredible that is! Staying at a resort? Your magic bands and fast passes are free and you can book 60 days early instead of 30 so you're more likely to score the best passes and dining reservations.

Change your reservations.

Didn't get a great time for dinner? No problem. You can actually update your reservations up to the day of your trip. We upgraded from a 9:15 p.m. (yeah right) to a 7:45 dinner which put us coming out of the front doors of Beast's Castle just as the fireworks were starting overhead. Absolutely magical! If you’re working with a Disney travel expert, they will even check the times for you and help you rebook to get the perfect timeslot.

SKIP THE SHUTTLE

Usually, resort transportation is perfectly fine. But, even when you’re staying at a Disney property and you have the perfect schedule planned, sometimes you need to get somewhere quickly and that can be a challenge. Whether you spent too long getting your princess dress and running shoes on, spent too much time chatting with Mickey, or stayed so late that your crew fell asleep in line for the shuttle, don’t forget about alternative transportation options. Uber and Lyft operate in the park, so you can take a quick (and usually inexpensive) ride to avoid waiting that you know could lead to irritable parents or kiddo meltdowns. We saved ourselves an hour wait on the shuttle at Hollywood Studios and it only cost us $6.00 to ride. Then, I recommended this to my brother and their Uber ride actually had a Mickey-themed birthday song and light show in the SUV for my nephew’s birthday. Talk about a magical moment!

Take naps so you can stay late.

So many people recommend this for all ages, but it's not just for toddlers. Especially if you're getting up early for the park opening and taking advantage of the end of the night. The middle of the day has the longest wait times and heaviest crowd levels, so head back to the hotel for a nap, swim, or just to regroup for the rest of the evening. After the fireworks, when everyone else is leaving, go BACK the other way. One night, we rode Splash Mountain three times in a row without waiting 1 second! Surreal. As long as you make it into the line before the "Kiss Goodnight," you get to ride. It would have been more if only we could've run through the empty queues faster! 

SAVE ON SOUVENIRS

Trips can get expensive. One way we save is by buying a Christmas ornament wherever we go, and that’s the only souvenir we buy. It saves us long hours of shopping and money on items they’ll forget about as soon as we’re home. Over the years my kids have learned to look forward to this and rarely ask to buy other souvenirs. Yet, Disney World has such amazing and beautiful shops that I knew we may be in trouble here. So I actually bought little Disney gifts before our trip and wrapped them up so they each had a special surprise each morning on their pillow. One of the most unexpected places I found unique Disney items was at Hot Topic—especially for older kiddos and adults too! While they may or may not be your usual place to shop, they have clothing, shoes, jewelry, and gifts that made my kiddos light up each day of our trip.

MAKE A TOURING PLAN FOR EACH DISNEY PARK

There are so many wonderful Disney travel agents and planners and I really enjoyed working with one each time we’ve gone to Disney World or Disneyland. I am not one, but as the mama/captain, I’m really the only one that can take someone else’s plan and adapt it to what my family will enjoy the most. With a 5 year gap and several inches in height between my kiddos (and, another really big kid that I married decades ago!), I know that if I take an already wonderful touring plan, I can adjust it to fit the rides or character visits that we would love to experience. Having an idea of which direction to go when you enter the park and the order you want to follow can save you time and keep you ahead of the crowds, which makes for a more delightful experience!

NOW, THROW YOUR PLAN OUT OF THE WINDOW

You never know what will happen! But, just like athletes practice and plan for a range of scenarios, you will only be able to do what you can when you actually play. So, don’t forget to play! Experience every magical moment. Don't forget to breathe. Enjoy yourself and act like a kid again! Take plenty of pictures but remember to put your phone down too so you can live IN each experience as they happen. So, plan it all out and be ready to improvise so you all have the most wonderful, magical time!