Disney World is one of my favorite places to visit! Each and every time we go I learn new Disney World Tips to make our next trip even better. If your interested in finding out where to get free drinks at Disney World, how to save money at Disney World, and more then your in luck! Below are a just a few of the best Disney World Tips that I have learned along the way. I hope these Disney World tips will help you when planning your next trip to Disney World.
15 Best Disney World Tips and Tricks
Purchase a Disney World Guide Book
Do this either before or right as you start planning! Out of all these Disney World tips, this one is one of the most important when it comes to planning. I have purchased many over the years and my favorites would probably be Passporters Walt Disney World or The Unofficial Guide to Disney World. All of the Disney World planning books have many Disney World tips and recommendations on hotel rooms, rides, food and so much more. If you don’t want to buy a book, go to your local library and check a few out.
Stay on Disney property
Staying on the Disney property gets you many perks such as the extra magic hour, access to the dining plan, free transfers to and from the airport. Another plus is that you are in close proximity to the parks. Most of the time Disney offers special deals throughout the year, so do your research before picking your package.
Get the Disney Dining Plan
To get the Disney Dining Plan you have to be staying on the property. You can normally find great deals that include the Dining Plan, depending on when you choose to travel. With the Dining Plan you won’t have the stress of having to worry about paying for your meals.
Book Your Disney Dining Reservations Early
I recommend at least 90 days in advance of your vacation. The earlier you book your reservations the better dining times and restaurants you will get. If you are looking for Disney World Restaurant recommendations you can visit my Top 10 Places to Eat in Disney World for my suggestions.
Bring or Rent a Quality Stroller
Don’t skimp on this part. You may be tempted to bring one of those cheap umbrella strollers. Those tend to get uncomfortable really fast, especially if you have young kids who need a nap. On all of our visits to Disney we have rented a stroller from Kingdom strollers. They bring the stroller to your hotel and pick it up when you leave. It’s so convenient and best of all their strollers are super comfy.
Make a Plan or Schedule for Each Day
This tip is really important especially if you have young kids. Plan on a time to get to the park, which rides you want to ride the most, where you want to eat and plan for breaks. Now we all know that when you have kids, plans don’t also work. It’s best to have some sort of layout so that you don’t get overwhelmed with everything there is to see and do.
Take Advantage of the Fast Pass
I love the Fast Pass as it allows you to swipe your Disney admissions ticket and get an exact time to return to the ride. This convenience means you will get on the ride without having to wait in a long line. On more popular rides, like the Toy Story Mania ride, you will want to get your fast pass as soon as you arrive because these tend to run out quick.
Visit Disney World During the Off-Peak Season
Not only will you save money, the crowds are considerably smaller meaning shorter wait times at the rides. I recommend September or early May. Both of these times have worked out great for our family and we are usually able to ride everything without long waits.
Important Disney World Tips is to Take Frequent Breaks
If you take any Disney World tips away from this post, this tip would be the one you should follow. You may be tempted to stay at the parks from open until close so you don’t miss out on a thing. This will wear you (and your kids) out really quickly and your super fun vacation may turn into a nightmare. If you plan to get to the park early, stay a few hours, ride the rides and then go back to the hotel to rest up, swim, grab a bite to eat or just relax. Then you can go back to the park and enjoy all of the night festivities and parades. The park tends to get more crowded during the middle of the day so this would be the perfect time to recharge.
Splurge on One BIG Thing
I recommend dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table. This is truly a magical experience that you and your family will never forget. This is also a great way to meet and have a one-on-one greeting with each of the Disney princesses. If you have the Disney Dining Plan this will take two of your dinning credits but it is well worth it!
Get Your Caffeine Fix at Epcot’s Cool Club
Here you will find a variety of soft drinks from around the world and they are all free to try. This is also a great place to cool off from the hot Florida sun in the summer time.
Ask for Free Ice Water
This is available at every Walt Disney Counter Service location. Instead of buying a $4 water bottle you can get a large ice cold cup of water for free…just ask.
Start a Disney Pin Collection
Collecting pins is one of our favorite things to do at Disney World. A cheap way to get your collection started is buy purchasing a few (or a lot) on Ebay or Amazon. You can normally find 25 pins for around $20. At the parks you can trade with fellow pin traders or Disney cast members..just ask!
Get the Disney World Wait Times App
This app is around 0.99 and worth every penny. You can look up wait times and plan your day accordingly. So if you decide you want to ride Space Mountain, you can look on the app to see how long the wait will be along with every other ride. We downloaded the app months before our trip and could tell which rides we should ride first and around what time. GREAT APP!
Make Your Own Disney Autograph Book
One of my favorite Disney World tips is to save money by making your own autograph book. Buying an autograph book while at Disney can cost you upwards of $20. You can make a fun and personalized autograph book at home for only a few dollars. My kids love taking a new autograph book each time we go to Disney and it’s a lot of fun trying to get as many signatures as possible.