Disney World is my absolute favorite place on this planet. No place makes me happier or feel more like myself than the happiest place on earth. I love the energy and most of the people (there's always that one person everywhere that makes everyone else miserable). I love the smells and the view. I especially love the planning!
I'm not one of those Disney goers that plans down to the minute. I don't make dining reservations for starters, I don't like having to rush from one thing to the other. That's my first Tip!
Don't Over Plan
I know Disney World is expensive and when you're going you want to squeeze in every single thing to make the most of your money and time. You want to see all the characters, ride all the rides, see all the shows, and get a dining experience. But, in my opinion, if you're scheduling down to the minute you're focusing more on where you're going next than what you're doing in the moment. Missing the thing you're spending so much money on in the first place.
I like to start by planning which park I'm going to on which day. Up un January of 2024 (because of COVID) you had to "book" your park and wouldn't be allowed entry to that park without that park reservation. Now that that isn't a thing anymore (not going to lie, it didn't bother me much having to do it, it was just an added task when book our trips), I just talk with my husband about which park we're going to first. We do three park days (so Monday, Wednesday, Friday), and split Epcot and Animal Kingdom on one day. It works well for us because Animal Kingdom has always been a if we do it OK and if we don't OK, type of park. That's not the case for everyone of course.
After deciding which park we're going to, I like to figure out what rides are must do's for us. If I can, I'll ride them all! I don't think I've met a ride at Disney I didn't like (except Mission to Mars..that ride can die a slow death). Then we decide if we want to do a sit down restaurant or not (usually not). I book our Lightening Lanes as we go through the parks. Jumping on whichever is closest.
Remember this is a vacation, Disney takes planning but you should also be able to relax somewhat. Stressing about where you're supposed to be doesn't sound like a vacation I want to be on.
Bring Multiple Pairs of Shoes
I had someone tell me once if you're wearing the right shoes you don't need more than one pair and they must not have feeling in their feet because I assure you that you definitely do!
I got 30k steps walking around Magic Kingdom during our first trip folks. THIRTY-THOUSAND
I bring a pair for each park, then bring a couple to wear on our off days or in case I need to change my shoes mid day (rain).
Your shoes should feel like you're walking on a cloud.
I thought my Hey Dudes did a good job of keeping me from wanting to cut off my feet at the ankle. But whatever works best for your feet.
Schedule Off Days
I know there are people who want to go go go at Disney World, but that is definitely not me or my family! We've also found that if you have down days, you're able to experience things outside of the bubble or just venture to Disney Springs while others may be at the parks.
While on our last two trips we ventured out of the bubble (something I prefer not to do honestly) and went to Boggy Creek Airboat Rides and it was so much fun! There's a little area to view alligators and also a mining area where you get to sift out gems. The girls loved it the last time we went (three years and 16 months).
Buy Souvenirs Before You Go
Now, I've never really done this because I'm a Disney shopper and can't seem to find anything I like before we go. But I know a lot of people do and it saves them quite a bit of money. And any amount of money you can save when going to Disney is a good thing!
Don't Over Pack Your Park Bag
If you're going with littles it's tempting to bring everything but the kitchen sink with you, because you really never know what you might run into that you're going to need. But I suggest resisting the urge. If your child is in diapers, don't take 20 diapers with you if your kid only goes through five between 7am and noon. I would take a couple extras for the off chance you'll need them but it's silly to bring almost an entire package.
Remember when you're packing up your stroller that you will have to break it down and remove everything when you're going on transportation. So you'll be lugging all of those heavy bags onto the bus with you, unpleasant at best.
Do yourself a favor and really think about what your kids use every day during the time you'll be in the parks and only take that.
Your husband will thank you when you're loading on to transportation.
Your Kids Schedule Doesn't Change at Disney
Please remember that your kids schedule does not change at Disney. If they take a nap every day at noon, they're still going to want that nap at noon at Disney. If they eat at certain times of day and have snacks at certain times, those things are still going to be expected during your trip.
If your kid is not a stroller napper, please take them back to your hotel to nap. You'll have a much happier day if your kid isn't screaming by 6pm because they didn't have time to rest. No one around you wants to listen to your kid freaking out either.
Air Tags are a Must
I did this on our last trip and it was such a good idea and helped me find our stroller a few times! We put an AirTag on our stroller and I had one for each of the girls but we didn't end up needing to use them. They were both small enough that they weren't out of our sight between three adults.
A pretty common occurrence at Disney World is that cast members move your stroller, usually because they're running out of room or they're parked in the wrong spot. You'll be thanking your past self when you're not wandering around the stroller area searching for yours for 20 minutes.
Along the same lines, a sign or something that says your name so you can tell your stroller from the 900 other strollers in that spot.
The Dining Plan isn't for Everyone
When we went on our first trip to Disney World in 2015 we purchased the dining plan and I decided then and there and this is not a one size fits all situation. In my opinion if you're planning on doing a lot of table service and character meals then you're going to get your money out of the dining plan. If you're more of a quick service family, you're not.
This is of course my opinion, and maybe you love the dining plan. We are a quick service family and don't do a lot of reservations (as previously stated) so it just wasn't worth the money for us. Do your research! Disney Food Blog is great at breaking down the different dining plans and how they're going to work for your family!
I really hope these tips help you have a great trip!
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