9 Disney World Tips for your Next Trip
I am a complete Disney fanatic! If I could I would live out my happily ever after in Belle’s castle. I have been to Disney quite a few times in the past 2 years. While they are incredibly polite, accommodating and do their best to fulfill your dreams there are a few things to know before going that might make the trip more magical!
1.) Book Early
Waiting too long to book can result in the resorts being all booked up especially during peak season. The past 2 years we booked our plane tickets first and then we missed out on early bird deals that were available through Disney.
2.) My Disney Experience App
This is amazing! If you haven’t yet you need to download this pronto! This is where you can get your fastpasses, make dinner reservations, research ride waits, download photos and order your counter service ahead of time! It makes your Disney vacation worry free!
3.) Plan Ahead
Know what you want to do on each day. With the My Disney Experience App you can schedule out your itinerary. Disney does make you wait until about 90 days before your planned vacation to book fastpasses. In addition you can only have up to 3 fast passes per park per day. I’m telling you they go fast! Research ahead of time and schedule fast passes for the rides you want to experience.
4.) Dinner reservations
Just like fast passes you can make reservations ahead of time. If you really want to eat at popular restaurant like the Be Our Guest restaurant you have to act fast! Schedule your meals ahead of time! It makes the vacation go so much smoother. Also, if you can’t find a reservation time of your preference keep checking back. I tried to book dinner reservations at the Be Our Guest restaurant for our January trip in October and nothing opened up until the week before we left. Had I not keep checking back I may have missed the opportunity.
5.) Transportation
Take advantage of the transportation services but be mindful of waiting. The shuttle from the airport was great. Using the busses to get to the parks isn’t horrible but can be time consuming. Know the peak time people leave and either go sooner or later. We made the mistake of waiting until 11am to leave for Epcot on NYE and got stuck in a traffic jam for almost 2 hours!!!! Plan, ahead!
6.) Have Snacks
Send yourself snacks and food items for the duration of the trip. This idea came from women in my bible study group and I think it is brilliant. Prices for food at Disney, even the cafeteria are through the roof! This mom and daughter duo ships food to their hotel 1-1.5 weeks prior to their huge family trip! This includes baby food, breakfast cereals and a variety of snacks. This is a great money saver. Whether your ship it or bring it along save an extra $15-$20 a person per day by having breakfast and snacks in your room.
7.) Disney Luggage Service
Don’t use the luggage service through Disney if you are getting there anytime after 3pm. This is a great service if you arrive to Orland early in the morning and want to get into some Disney fun! We arrived after 8 and didn’t get our luggage until 1am; yikes!
8.) Disney Photopass
Available on the My Disney Experience app you and your family can pose for fun photos, taken by a cast member; no more awkward selfies. There are a variety of packages to choose from and you can get your photos printed in the park.
9.) Disney Springs
Disney Springs is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. They have several stores ranging from Under Armor, to Lego, Coca-cola and even Ghirardelli. They have themed restaurants like Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café and House of Blues. Not to mention all the awesome entertainment! For an off day from the park or a night out this is a great place to roam around. My boyfriend and I love going!
For your next Disney trip keep these tips in mind and your vacation will be filled with magic. Whether you are going with the family, a group of friends, your significant other or for New Year’s Eve Disney is always full of things for you and your loved ones to do.
