Disney World: What I’ve Learned for Successful Trips

by Rachel · Published February 2, 2026 · Updated February 3, 2026

Obviously, this is not a Disney World blog, so the information I provide below, while very sufficient, is nothing compared to what you can find on dedicated blogs. I’ll give the best of what I’ve learned about every facet I can think of. Then, if you still have questions or want more details on specific rides, shows, hotels, or food, you can always dig deeper.

If there is one thing I’ve learned about Disney World, it is that you must have a plan. Otherwise, you’ll spend a ton of money and end up in never-ending lines with kids and maybe adults having melt downs.

The advantage to my blog post, is that although it is very long, it will all be in one place. When I am on dedicated Disney blogs, I often go down one rabbit hole after another, spending hours on all of the embedded links in each article. They’re great, but it’s almost too much sometimes especially for most people.

Even this is probably too much for most people, so feel free to skim or skip entire sections. For example, if you know you’re going to stay at a value resort, then you can just focus on that part of the hotel section. However, if you’d like to know a little about each of them, by all means, read through it.

My Disney Experience Mobile App:

The My Disney Experience App is the essential, free digital tool for Walt Disney World. It acts as a central hub for planning, managing tickets/reservations, and navigating the parks. This is also where you can see all of the rides and ride times, see maps to locate certain rides, food, or bathrooms, order food and access your hotel room.

It also links to your tickets so that it is your digital wallet. Additionally, it has access to your digital photos and your Disney PhotoPass. Basically, you definitely need it and want to set it up as soon as you get your tickets. You’ll also become somewhat familiar with it before your trip, so you’re comfortable using it.

To link your tickets, you need to open the app, tap the “hamburger” menu icon. Then go to tickets and passes, tap the blue plus (+) sign, select link tickets & passes, and then either scan the barcode or manually enter the ticket ID from your confirmation email. Then assign the linked ticket to the correct person in your party. You can link friends’ or family’s tickets to your account too, but each person needs their own ticket under their name for park entry. As the planner, I like having everyone on mine so I can book everything.

Magic Bands:

You don’t have to have magic bands for each person in your group. It sure does make it much easier to tap into each ride though. You can always use your phone to tap instead, but it will take longer for multiple people.

The advantage to having one is that it’s quicker, you won’t lose it, and it’s fun for the kids! It’s also interactive with certain shows and what not which is fun for kids. You can also use it to pay for things because it will be linked to the card you have on file at your resort. I would never go without one as I feel it makes my life much more simple with it. The cheapest ones currently are solid colors and are $35 a piece. Most of the others are $45, and a few are $55.

Also, you may be able to order ahead of time through your My Disney Experience App and can get a discount for each person on the reservation. They’ll also engrave each person’s name on the back. Just order them early enough (at least 11 days) to ensure you get them in time. Or you can order them with less time, and they will just ship them to your Disney hotel.

Alternatives

If you’re staying on property, you can ask your hotel for a “Key to the World”. This is essentially a magic band in card form. The only downside is that it is not attached to your wrist, so you may lose it. Finally, you can add an Apple Watch to your wallet on the app and scan with your watch instead. Again this takes longer for multiple guests.

Original Magic Bands (non-rechargeable) generally have a battery life of roughly 2 to 3 years for active features. However, the passive RFID technology used for touching to enter parks, unlocking hotel rooms, and tapping for Lightning Lanes can last for 5+ years or much longer. The only downside to the new ones is that they have to be recharged each night for interactive features. However, if you forget to charge, then all of the necessary functions still work!

Supplies:

If you are needing strollers, car seats, cribs, etc., you can easily rent these items through various companies in Orlando. Strollers can also be rented at Disney, but they are usually way less comfortable and lacking features.

A word about strollers: if you have a good baby carrier, you may prefer that, but it can get hot especially during certain times of the year though there are the upsides of not having to deal with the stroller. When I rented a stroller, I checked reviews to make sure that it was easy to open and close. The last thing you need is having trouble folding it for the bus. Also, just fold it up before the bus comes if possible.

Another word about strollers: many people frown down on an older child being in a stroller. However, I think Disney World is the one place where it is completely acceptable to have an older child in a stroller some. It will keep them from whining as much, and you will be able to get everywhere much faster.

Disney World strollers — These are Disney strollers at Animal Kingdom

What to Pack for the Disney World

There is so much you could bring to make your day more convenient and comfortable at Disney World, but you also don’t want to overpack either. The suggestions I give below are affiliate links at no cost to you. They are the things I personally bring on my trip to Disney World. Not everything comes with me to the park each day, but a lot of it does.

I like having some sort of book bag that can hold the things I need. One bag I love is this. I have used it on multiple trips. The actual bag I use at Disney is a red and white polka dot book bag. I can’t find it on Amazon anymore, so here are two similar ones. Book bag; cross body bag which is a little smaller.

Probably the most important thing you’ll need is a portable charger because you’ll be on your phone a lot! Here is the one I have. I like it because it also has a plug integrated into it. Here is another popular one that can actually magnetize to your phone. Each of these are 10,000 mAh which will provide two full battery charges.

You’ll also be doing a lot of walking, so you’ll want a few things to stay comfortable. Most important is a good pair of shoes that have been worn in a little bit. I love Brooks. Here is a cheaper pair designed for walking and running and one that’s a little nicer with more options. Next is Body Glide which is an anti-chafe balm. Next is something for blisters. I love these that are like a band-aid but better. You can also use Mole Skin that you can cut to size.

Weather related items

A good chunk of the year, Disney World can be hot! I always have cooling towels on hand along with a fan. Those towels are amazing, but are harder to fold once they dry. I also personally use these a lot of the time even though they don’t last as long. I have always used these foldable hand-held fans. They hold a charge for a long time and work extremely well. Recently I also purchased one that just sits around my neck so I don’t have to hold it, and I love it too.

Hats are a good idea as well. Here is one similar to the one my daughter wears but quite a bit cheaper. Here is the one I’ve been wearing. I like it because I can put my hair in a high pony tail if I want to.

There are also times where it rains torrentially at Disney, so I also bring a poncho for my daughter and me. Both of these work very well and will save you from spending a bunch of money on a disposable one at Disney World. You can also use these on a water ride if you’re very adverse to getting wet! Since my daughter is a little older now, she has one like mine as well.

To also combat the water from water rides or pools, you’ll need a waterproof phone case. Always test yours with a paper towel to make sure it’s not defective. I’ve used this one countless times, and it does a good job. Ziploc bags are also a great idea for other small things that you want to keep dry.

Specifically for kids

To keep young kids from getting bored in lines, these are a great idea. Speaking of kids, getting some disposable I.D. bracelets are also a good idea.

I was going to put a link to the Epcot passport book for kids, but I can no longer find it online – only adult versions. You can get one at Disney though, and they are the same price I paid for mine on Amazon back in 2018. As for an autograph book, I purchased mine from Etsy.

I also throw some hand sanitizer, chap stick, and my water bottle in my bag.

Getting to Disney World:

For years and years, Disney World offered Disney’s Magical Express to whisk guests away from the airport to their hotel for free, but that no longer exists and is still something fans complain about all of the time.

One option is to book the Mears Connect. This is actually the same bus company who used to run the Magical Express. You also wait in a line, but now it’s not free though it is still usually cheaper than other options.

Another option is to use a shared-riding service – either Uber or Lyft. Just put both in and see which one comes up cheaper. This was more expensive for just the two of us, but it was also more convenient and quicker. There are tons of drivers ready to pick you up!

You can also take a taxi, limo or rent a car. I would only rent a car if you plan on not being at Disney World the whole time.

Hotels:

There are endless accommodations around Orlando. Some of these are great deals for what you get. Many are still close enough to Disney World to offer shuttles. A good chunk of them also have free breakfast which is a nice perk!

From all of the research I’ve done on hotels though, you’d be hard-pressed to find a budget accommodation as cheap as the cheapest value resort at Disney once you factor in the perks for staying at Disney.

However, if you want nicer accommodations, you can find much nicer hotels than what’s at Disney. Luxury hotels like the Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, and the new Conrad Evermore are much nicer but also cost quite a bit as well.

The hotels I will go into are the Disney hotels, but two that are on Disney property but are not Disney owned are Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace and The Walt Disney World Swan. They both even have early entry like Disney’s hotels. The Swan has other Disney perks. Although the Swan is more expensive, it is right by Epcot. This is a premier location and still often cheaper than the Disney deluxe hotels in the same area. The Hilton Orlando is more moderately priced and is in the Disney Springs area.

The Perks for Staying at a Disney World-Owned Hotel

There are many perks and benefits for staying at a Disney hotel. These are correct as of 2026. I’ll have to keep an eye on this as Disney likes to change things. Also, although I have only stayed at 5 Disney hotels, I have read so much about each one, that I feel like somewhat of an expert even though I am certainly not.

Probably the number one convenience for a Disney World hotel is location. Being in the “Disney bubble” is also a magical feeling. It also provides you with free Disney transportation whether that be bus, monorail, ferry, the Skyliner, or even walking (depending on where you stay).

If you drive to Disney World or rent a car, then hotel guests also get free parking at resorts and the theme parks.

As of “Summer 2026”, all Disney hotel guests will get a free water park day. This is either at Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon on their check-in day subject to availability.

Early Access

Disney hotel guests also get access to their Early Entry. Every park opens up 30 minutes early for Disney hotel guests to rope drop. As you’ll learn later in this post, “rope dropping”, even 30 minutes early, can make a BIG difference in your plans for the day being successful. Therefore, this is a HUGE perk. There is also an Extended Evening hours on certain nights either at Epcot or Magic Kingdom. This is only for guests staying at the deluxe resorts though. I have heard that it is awesome because the crowds are so light.

Not only do you get early entry, but you also get an early booking window for Lightning Lane Multi-Pass. The Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is basically a paid version of their old FastPass. Disney guests get to make their Lightning Lane choices 7 days in advance, for their entire stay up to 14 days. Non resort guests only get to make selections 3 days in advance. This means all of the most popular rides are gone. I’d rather get some of the most popular rides and skip those crazy lines.

As a Disney resort guest, you also get an early booking window for Advanced Dining Reservations. All guests visiting Disney World can make dining reservations 60 days in advance. This means if there are several restaurants you want, you have to get on super early every morning and hope to snag one. Disney-hotel guests get to make up to 10 days all at once 60 days in advance. This means you could get your entire vacation set up all at once.

Disney Dining Plan

Disney-resort guests also get the option of purchasing the Disney Dining Plan which off-site guests do not get. Now whether this will save you money or not really depends. Our first trip, I had planned ahead and found that it was cheaper to not do the Disney Dining Plan. However, on both of my other trips I got it. This was because I had planned for several character dining meals. These are very expensive, and so the plan was cheaper.

This year in 2026, kids (age 3 to 9) eat free at the time of travel as long as every other party member is on the Disney Dining plan, so that may also work out in your favor. Either way, getting the plan, may make you stress less about money while on the trip because everything is covered; just know that you may not actually be saving money doing it that way!

Disney World Value Resorts

These are the cheapest Disney hotels. For families who are not going to be at their hotels much anyway and want to save money, these are a great choice even though you sacrifice some on location, accommodations, and food. They are still great options, and you still receive all of the Disney perks for staying on site.

First, all of the value resorts will pique your child’s interest because although they are all plain buildings, they are dressed up with tons of oversized decor pieces that relate to the theme of the hotel!

There are three “All Star” value resorts which are the three cheapest value hotels. They are the All Star Movies, All Star Sports, and All Star Music. They offer bus transportation to each of the parks at Disney World. Sometimes though, when it is less busy, they share busses between them which can take a lot longer. Also, before booking one of these, make sure they’re not hosting a large number of youth groups during competition season. That can make a big difference on your stay.

Skyliner Value Resorts

The two higher-end value resorts are a little more expensive because they are located on either side of the Disney Skyliner. This provides transportation to Hollywood Studios (about a 10-minute ride) and Epcot (about a 15-minute ride). These wait times can be higher at certain times, and it shuts down in storms, but it’s still a huge assett. The Skyliner has great views and just feels much more magical than the bus. You still take a bus to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.

The first of these resorts is Art of Animation. Personally, I love the Art of Animation’s theming. There is a Cars section, Lion King section, Nemo section, and The Little Mermaid section. We have stayed there once, and the only big drawback was how far away the room was. We stayed in one of The Little Mermaid rooms which are the only standard rooms and are the furthest away. The non-standard rooms are way more expensive, but can hold up to 6 guests. Art of Animation also has the biggest pool in Disney World that plays music under the water along with other smaller pools.

Disney World's Art of Animation with Rafiki

I have not stayed at Pop Century, but it is similar to AoA in terms of the transportation, food courts, and accommodations, but their rooms have had a more recent makeover. There are more standard rooms offered here as well for the cheaper prices. When we go back, if we stay at a value resort, we’ll probably stay at Pop Century. The only drawback in my mind is that it is not as Disneyfied!

Disney World Moderate Resorts

If I can’t find a deal for a deluxe accommodation (more on that later), and I can spring for a little more, I am usually looking at one of the moderate resorts for my trips. There are technically five of these resorts, but I wouldn’t personally consider The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness as a moderate resort option. To me it’s a completely different category. These cabins are often cheaper though. All of the remaining moderate resorts have great pool areas with slides, so that is a step-up from the value resorts.

Out of the moderate resorts, I have stayed at Caribbean Beach. A lot of people don’t like this resort because it is spread out, but it’s awesome as long as you can request a room! You can pay more for a convenient room, or you can pay for a standard room and request a room through Touring Plans towards the front of the Jamaica or Aruba sections. This is what we did, and it worked perfectly. The main restaurant here, Sebastian’s Bistro, was great. The pool area is also nice, but the main draw for this resort is the Disney Skyliner. The time to Hollywood Studios is about 5 minutes and it’s about 12 minutes to Epcot!

The next moderate resort is Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs Resort. Many Disney fans rank this as the number one moderate resort. This is mainly because the atmosphere, accommodations and restaurants are on par with a lot of the deluxe resorts minus transportation and theming. This is another resort to potentially check on conference groups since they have a huge conference center.

Port Orleans – 2 for 1

I did have a trip booked to Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter with a room reserved and everything, but it got cancelled 6 days before we were due to leave because of Covid! I had chosen this resort because of its theming, access to the Port Orleans Riverside (so two cool pools), a ferry to Disney Springs with a lot of excellent dining, freshly made beignets that reviewers drool over, but mainly because of the size of the resort. It is the second smallest resort on Disney property. This means the single-stop bus system is a dream. It is the only mode of transportation though.

I don’t know as much about the other side, but I do know that Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside is a sister property to French Quarter. It is a bigger resort, but it does still have access to both pools and the ferry to Disney Springs. It also has a good table service restaurant and food court area along with bikes, carriage rides, and fishing available. To get between this resort and French Quarter, it’s about a 10-minute walk, and there are golf carts that go between the two. I still think it would be better to say at French Quarter and visit Riverside.

Disney World Deluxe Resorts

Ah, the deluxe resorts…if only, I had the money to stay at these all of the time! If money is not an issue for you, this is probably where you’ll want to be. If money is somewhat of an issue, you can still get into one of these deluxe resorts at a fraction of the cost. Just check out the next section on Deluxe Resort Villas.

There are 8 of these resorts. I am not going to go into all of these as much – just know they all have amazing theming, excellent accommodations and ambience, and top tier restaurants along with fantastic pools with slides. They are also all very close to at least one of the parks.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Out of all of these, I have stayed at two though neither were for the entire trip. The first time was at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge because I happened upon a great deal. It’s also consistently the cheapest out of all of the deluxe resorts. We had started the trip at Caribbean Beach but then spent the last two nights here. The hotels are great at transporting luggage for you! As long as you’re going to be at the park for a good chunk of the day, your luggage will be waiting for you once you get to your next resort.

The check-in area here is the prettiest, most luxurious lobby I’ve ever seen. It is beautiful! You can also choose to upgrade your room to a safari room so that you can see the animals. There are giraffes, zebras, and other animals roaming around on the grounds which is what we did. They also have the best slate of restaurants according to most Disney experts. The only drawback is that it is far from most of the parks and relies on only bus transportation.

Cresent Lake Resorts

The other deluxe resort I’ve stayed at is the Yacht Club. I got very lucky on this one. I had already planned my trip for Art of Animation but then decided to add an extra day to enable us to rope drop Hollywood Studios which is the most difficult park to tackle in my opinion. AoA didn’t have a room, so I started scouring Disney’s website. I guess because it was so close to the date, Yacht Club had rooms in the high $300s which I knew was an absolute steal compared to any other time I’ve seen them.

Because Yacht Club shares amenities with Beach Club, this meant we got to spend our entire first evening enjoying the most famous pool area at Disney World – Storm Along Bay, and it was just as amazing as everyone says. Yacht Club and Beach Club have different theming but share pretty much everything else. Both of these resorts along with Boardwalk are all located around Crescent Lake. This makes them all walking distance to Epcot and Hollywood Studios – a HUGE perk! You can also take the ferry, but walking is quicker – especially to Epcot

Storm Along Bay at Disney World's Yacht Club

The rest of the deluxe resorts are all located around Magic Kingdom. They all have a fun, character dining experience. Anyone can book these though, so you definitely need advanced reservations. They also all have amazing theming, rooms, and pools.

Magic Kingdom Resorts

The Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and The Contemporary are all on the monorail loop. This provides easy access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot. You can also walk to Magic Kingdom from all of them but walk times differ. The closest by far is The Contemporary at around 9 minutes. We actually have had our Uber in the past drop us off near The Contemporary to take advantage of this, but I think security is cutting down on that. The only deluxe resort here not on the monorail loop is The Wilderness Lodge. Instead, it has a quick and reliable ferry service to Magic Kingdom. It also makes it usually a little cheaper than the others in this area.

Disney World Deluxe Villa Resorts

Almost all of the Deluxe Villa Resorts are located right by the Deluxe resorts. Therefore, you’re getting all of the same advantages for a fraction of the cost. Many people think you need to be a Disney Vacation Club member to access these accommodations, but you don’t. You can book them through Disney, but it is much cheaper to rent the points from a DVC member through a reputable company. I’ve read horror stories where people have paid a lot of money only to arrive and not have a room.

If you use DVC Rental Store, you can inquire about bookings up to 11 months in advance. If you want something popular, that’s what you should aim for. It doesn’t mean you’ll get it, but you’re more likely to. Some resorts are harder to get than others. You can also browse confirmed reservations which are 100% available.

I have only used DVC Rental Store. I like their cancellation policy better than others and their optional cash back policy for an upgrade. One time I requested for Beach Club which didn’t come available. I have also completed bookings twice – for Kidani Village near Animal Kingdom and for Aulani which is the Disney Resort in Hawaii.

Villa Options

The villas around Magic Kingdom are Bay Lake (The Contemporary), Boulder Ridge (Wilderness Lodge), Copper Creek (Wilderness Lodge), Polynesian Villas (Polynesian), and the Grand Floridian Villas (Grand Floridian).

The ones around Crescent Lake are Disney’s Beach Club Villas (Beach Club) and Boardwalk Villas (Boardwalk). The one near Animal Kingdom is Kidani Village (Animal Kingdom Lodge).

The ones off on their own are Riviera which is close to Caribbean Beach. It has its own access point to The Skyliner along with other deluxe category accommodations. The final two, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs tend to be a little cheaper (along with Kidani Village) because they are closer to the Disney Springs area. They are also each on extremely sprawling grounds. People either love or hate this, but I’ve mainly read negative reviews in regard to that.

Tickets for Disney World:

Disney World has four theme parks that are all vastly different. You can choose to visit just one or all four of them. When you buy tickets, you can choose how many days you want and whether you want a hop parker to bounce around to more than one park in a single day or to stick to the cheaper one-park-a-day tickets. If you are traveling with kids and you don’t go often, I’d stick to one park a day anyway, but many people love the park hopper pass.

The more days you buy, the cheaper each day becomes. A lot of times there are deals like buy three days, get a fourth free and vacation packages. You can always check Disney World’s website for these. I have always bought my tickets through Undercover Tourist because they are a reputable company that has the best prices! They also offer the same deals as Disney’s website but often for cheaper.

Don’t Push It Too Much

If you’re doing a longer trip like 6 or 7 days, I’d recommend a break/relax day in the middle somewhere. You can swim and relax at the pool, chill in your room, maybe hit up a dining experience you want to do, etc. It will give you a day to recharge because the parks, while amazingly fun, can also be exhausting!

Also, if you have little kids, or it’s really hot, plan on taking a break mid-day. This is what we did on our first trip when my little was only 4. We rope dropped, got a lot in, went back to the hotel and relaxed for a few hours. Then we went back in the evening when it was cooler.

On our subsequent trips, we didn’t do this as much, but we also didn’t stay from opening to close either, so it’s really up to you! I know that with the price you’re paying, you want to squeeze in as much as humanely possible. However, it’s better to keep the trip relaxed and fun than everyone stressed out, over tired, and melting down. This would not be the exact memories you’re going for especially for a vacation as expensive as Disney. There is a balance, and you must find it if you want your trip to feel successful! This is one of the number one mistakes I see families make.

Food at Disney World

Each of the theme parks have multiple table service and counter service restaurants. There are also tons of snacks around every corner. I’ll mention some favorites in each theme park below. Just know there are tons of options. There are also Disney blogs/vlogs dedicated to just the food, so if that’s important to you, you definitely need to delve deeper into those.

If you ever get a chance to go to Epcot during their International Food and Wine Festival in the fall, there are delicious options around the entire World Showcase.

A lot of the table service options need a reservation due to popularity, but not all of them. Almost all of the counter service options and a lot of the snack places can be preordered ahead of time on the Disney Mobile App which can save a lot of time and patience.

Groceries

Every time I go to Disney World on a vacation, I always get groceries delivered to my room. I use Walmart’s delivery service. There are many companies that do this in the Orlando area. I just use Walmart because they’re cheaper than most, and I already subscribe to them. They get delivered to the hotel at Bell Services. They store the cold items for you and then deliver them to your room for a small fee. You can also go get them yourself for free. The only thing you can’t buy without being there at drop off with ID is alcohol.

This saves me a ton of money on breakfast, snacks, and sometimes lunch and/or dinner items. My daughter and I are just fine with a sandwich and apple for lunch while walking through the park. It saves on time and is much cheaper. Rooms have refrigerators, but standard rooms don’t generally have microwaves, though you could use one in a shared dining space.

Lightning Lanes at Disney World:

Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Overview

This is a paid, per-person, per day service that allows you to pre-book up to three ride reservations ahead of time and skip the standby line for the faster lightning line. Of those three, you can get up to one tier A ride selection (most popular) and two tier B ride selections or get 3 tier B selections. Once you’ve tapped in and redeemed one ride, you can book another. You will continuously keep three ride reservations until they run out. Many of the tier B don’t run out until way later in the evening at most parks.

Each attraction can be ridden once per day. They also use dynamic pricing, so the cost will change based on crowds. It also includes on-ride photos and filters for the day and can be used with a park hopper pass. Whatever you book can be changed and modified as needed throughout the day.

Each ride will give a one-hour window, and in general, it doesn’t allow for overlaps. You can tap in up to 5 minutes early and up to 2 hours after the window! However, as with anything concerning Disney, that could change at any point, so if you want ultimate safety, show up in your one-hour window.

In my details for each theme park further below, I tell you which rides are which tier and recommendations on what you should go for.

Before you reserve your lightning lanes, you can go into the My Disney Experience app and practice. This will ensure you’re comfortable navigating the app and know where to go.

Reserving your Lightning Lane Multi-Pass

If you are staying as a Disney resort guest, you may make your selections 7 days before your first Disney day. If you are staying off-site, then you can reserve 3 days in advance.

You can get up to one tier A ride for each park day and up to three tier B rides for each park day with a maximum of three.

On the day you’re reserving your rides, grab the tier A ride you want first. Be on the site a little before 7:00 a.m. to make sure you’re ready because it’s competitive! Refresh right at 7 and go! If you have more than one adult going, then both of you should be on the account through a different device. You’ll each make a different selection, so make your plan beforehand.

Once you’ve secured your tier A ride (any time you can get), get your two tier B rides. Make sure one of them is early in the morning even if it’s not your first-choice tier B ride. You have 5 minutes to check out, but it will secure the time you chose until you check out. Because of this, after you check out, you may want to refresh and modify your selections up to about 7:30 a.m. Then you’ll be able see if you can get better rides or times since some people will time out of their cart.

Once you’ve secured your first day, you can then start doing your subsequent days. The further you go in your trip, the less and less competitive it should be. You’ll make your selections before you pay for each day one at a time.

Additional Tips

The reason you want an early ride time (even if it’s not one of your first-choice tier B rides) is because it then allows you to get your fourth reserved ride early in the day, which then sets you up for the rest of the day since you can continue getting them as you use them always keeping three at a time as long as they’re available.

The most competitive parks are Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Therefore, if you only have four days consider going to Animal Kingdom first (least competitive), then Epcot, and then one of the other two. If you have more than 4 days, you should easily be able to get what you want for the last few days of your trip as it is before most peoples’ booking windows open.

After purchasing, you can modify your times and rides as needed up to and during your actual trip. This is especially a good idea if you want to try and improve what you got.

Day of Lightning Multi-Pass

Disney World does drop new spots for rides on each day as well. Theoretically, after you tap in for a tier B ride, you might be able to snag a tier A. Hopefully, you were able to secure an early booking window for your first ride.

Once you tap into your first ride, choose your next selection based on next available reservation time and/or location. You’ll still likely be able to get your preferred tier B rides at this point. I always do this right after my whole party taps in – while walking in the line to the actual ride since the place where you tap in is usually only at the very beginning of the ride.

For the remainder of the day, you can get tier A or tier B rides – whatever is available – though if a tier A is still available, you should grab that one. You ideally, want to keep three at a time for the remainder of the day until they run out.

You’ll also want to refresh the available ride options as you go because you can modify your times for earlier. This is more advantageous. You can check availability on other rides without losing your existing ride reservation. This does make for a day on your phone a lot, but that is the nature of a successful Disney trip. However, I try to limit mine somewhat so that I am not stuck on my phone the entire day. If you just modify while you’re waiting in a line, that is a good compromise.

Individual Lightning Lanes

Unfortunately, a few of the most popular rides are not offered on the multi-pass. Instead, they are offered through ILLs (individual lightning lanes) where you pay per person for a particular ILL. These can also be purchased 7 days ahead of time (3 if you’re not a resort guest). Magic Kingdom has two of these rides, and all of the other parks have one.

If you plan on rope dropping, you can often get one of these rides done early without paying. You need to be towards the front of the line though to not have a long wait. Typically, I just suck it up, buy the ILL(s), and go a different direction at rope drop to avoid the massive crowd all heading to the most popular ride. This saves a lot of time in areas of the park where there is minimal people. Now, I am only paying for two, so I understand that a big family is going to pay a lot more for an ILL than I will.

ILLs range from $10 to $35 per person per ride depending on the attraction, date, and demand. If I ever saw them as high as that upper end, I’d rope drop them. My personal cap is $20 per person which is still kind of ridiculous. This is why I have a love/hate relationship with Disney! Everything is so expensive, and you can travel to so many other cool, unique places for cheaper (off my rant now)…but I still love Disney too – such an internal conflict.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass

The premier pass costs between $129 and $450 per person per day. It gives access to each lightning lane (including the Ills) once in one park (no park hoppers here).

You still get to purchase 7 days in advance. It’s also only available to people staying in the deluxe resorts or villas. This makes sense because those prices are also high. I guess if someone can afford an entire vacation in a deluxe, they may be able to afford this as well.

Disney World Photo Package

Whether you want to pay the hefty price tag for a photo package is up to you. If you pay ahead of time, it is currently $185, and if you pay on site, it is currently $210. This includes unlimited photos of all Disney PhotoPass photographer photos, character greetings, and ride photos of your entire family. It also includes special “Magic Shots” which are animated shots around the theme parks. The multi-pass does now include the ride photos, but the photo package gives you the rest.

Personally, I used to get it for the ride photos because I couldn’t take those photos myself. Therefore, I wouldn’t pay for this package now. However, I am known for taking tons of photos, so that is a factor. I do think if you’re taking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World, then it may very well be worth.

Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World:

General Information and Strategy for Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the one park I always try and schedule two days for if possible. I recommend this especially if you have kids to have a more relaxed approach.

Obviously, I am always going to recommend rope dropping a park. This is simply because it is the least crowded time. Magic Kingdom typically opens at 9 which means it opens up at 8:30 for hotel guests.

Occasionally, like on party days, Magic Kingdom opens at 8. A lot of guests will avoid this because they close at 6, but I will pick this day every time. There are less crowds and, with early entry being an hour earlier, it’s even less crowded at rope drop.

Only Tomorrowland and Fantasyland open early (that have rides). This means if you’re not a resort guest, this is the only park you could still technically rope drop at 9 and go the Adventureland or Frontierland.

Timing

I am not at the turnstiles at 8:30 for early entry; I am at the bridge to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland before 8:30 since they let you go ahead and go in after scanning magic bands where you can then wait for your first ride. Often times, they’ll let people start going as early as 8. There are even times that they may start a ride 10 to 15 minutes early, but you shouldn’t bank on this. This means I am at the bus stop 60 to 75 minutes before the start of early entry.

Even if you aren’t early entry, Main Street is open to everyone. That means anyone can at least get in and start absorbing some of the Disney magic.

Late night is also a great time to find shorter lines. Tron is especially good when it’s all lit up at night. As long as you get in the queue before closing even if it’s only by a minute, you’re good.

Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Strategy

This is one of my favorite parks with the multi-pass because you can knock out so many rides, usually back-to-back which makes it more worth your money. Therefore, it’s also the easiest and stress-free park with a multi-pass. *If a standby line is super short, it’s probably better to wait unless you know you won’t want to ride that ride again because the multi-pass only works once each ride. That’s why when you rope drop, you should just walk onto rides.

Tier A Rides

The most important ride to get here is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (40 inches+). That’s IF you can get it as it is the only one that consistently runs out and is usually impossible to get day of. Snag any time you can get because they go quickly. Grab this one first when you’re prebooking and then try for your next ones. If you are not able to get one, hopefully one of the other tier A rides will still be available as any of them are still good choices: Peter Pan’s Flight (next most demand), Space Mountain (44 inches+), and Jungle Cruise (least demand)

Tier B Rides

As for your tier B picks, you should choose Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, or Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. All of the others are easy to obtain at almost any time, so you can do them as you are close to their location. Also, all of the other ones’ standby lines are shorter. They include Barnstormer (35 inches+), Dumbo the Flying Elephant, It’s a Small World, Mad Tea Party, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Mickey’s PhilharMagic (show so shouldn’t need a pass for it unless it’s very busy), Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor (also a show, so same), Tomorrowland Speedway (32 inches+), and Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid.

Big Thunder Mountain (40 inches+) is also typically available but is currently closed for refubishment.

Magic Kingdom Individual Lightning Lanes

Magic Kingdom has two individual lightning lanes that you can prepurchase for an additional cost. They are Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38 inches+) and Tron (44 inches+). Many people decide to just rope drop one of these. Then do the other near park closing which is a great strategy.

If you do decide to purchase them, then you can focus your rope drop time on other rides which will all be way less crowded because most people are going to be heading to one of these two rides.

My Personal Ride Strategy

Because I go to Disney so seldom, I splurge on anything that will make my day easier and successful. Therefore, I almost always get the Multi-pass and Individual Lightning Lanes. With that in mind, I’d have a time for Mine Train and Tron already booked meaning I wouldn’t worry about them at rope drop.

Depending on what I was able to get for my multi-pass lightning lanes, would dictate where I’d go first. Unless I got Peter Pan which would not be my first selection, I’d start with Peter Pan on rope drop, then head to Tomorrowland for Space Mountain, Buzz and Astro Orbiter depending on what the lines looked like and time and then head over to Jungle Cruise in Adventureland and/or Tiana’s if I wasn’t able to get a lightning lane for that.

A lot of people with early entry will go straight to Tron and wait since it doesn’t open early, but to me that’s a waste; if you’re not willing to pay for an ILL for Mine Train, go there first and then to Peter Pan and/or Tron unless it’s after 9 and the line is super long. If that’s the case, there will still be plenty of other rides in the area with short waits.

For those who want less walking and have early entry, your best bet is to stick to Fantasyland first. There are a lot of rides over there with short wait times early in the morning. Just start with Mine Train and Peter Pan as those will be the longest later.

Magic Kingdom Rides

In the sections above, I’ve already highlighted the rides that offer lightning lanes. Magic Kingdom has the most rides by far, so even if you don’t get to all of them, you will feel like you’ve had a very successful day if you use a little strategy as outlined above. Also, most of the rides do not have a height minimum. The ones that do, I’ve been including in parenthesis.

The non lightning lane rides are Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Astro Orbiter, Prince Charming Regal Carousel, and the Walt Disney World Railroad if you want to count that as a ride. The only one that can consistently get backed up because of the way the queue works is Astro Orbiter. The others either almost never have a wait, or the line moves very quickly, so it’s not a problem. These are great fillers if you’re waiting for your next lightning lane and all of the ride lines are long.

Magic Kingdom Shows

Magic Kingdom also has multiple shows which are all cute and great fillers. They will also allow you some time to sit and take a breather too. Two of the shows offer lightning lanes which were detailed above, but you should almost never have to waste a lightning lane for a show. The shows they have are Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Country Bear Musical Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, Mickey’s Philharmagic, and Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor.

There’s also the Swiss Family Treehouse which is never busy and kids love to run around on it. It’s a fantastic filler activity and will allow your kids to burn off some energy. Additionally, there is the Liberty Square Riverboat which I’ve never actually done but looks cool. Finally, there is Enchanted Tales with Belle. This one is kind of like an interactive show, and it can get busy.

Magic Kingdom Other Entertainment

At the beginning of each day, there is a morning welcome show at the front of the castle to open the park. If I see this a little on my way, then great, but I am far more concerned with which line I need to head to than waiting around to see this show.

Each day there are several times that Disney puts on a Magical Friendship Faire at the castle. There is music and characters dancing. I don’t fit this in unless we happen to be right there when they are starting or in the middle.

Other areas of entertainment include Casey’s Corner Pianist, Dapper Dans, and the Flag Retreat held every day in Town Square at 5:00 p.m. I’ve never gone out of my way to see one of these, but coming upon them by chance, is a nice way to spend a few minutes.

Parades

Every day at 3:00, Disney World also runs their Festival of Fantasy Parade. People line up early for this in the Main Street area. Sometimes they go very early to ensure they get a good spot to view the parade. You can find a good spot much later in Frontierland or Liberty Square too though. Therefore, that is where we go if we’re going to watch the parade.

There is also another new parade at night called Disney Starlight – Dream the Night Away. It usually follows the same route as above and starts at 7:45 p.m. (and 10 p.m. on weekends). We have not been to Disney since this debuted, but I’ve heard it is very good.

Nightly Fireworks

The fireworks show, Happily Ever After, is generally at 9 p.m. each night at the castle. One time we watched this from uncrowded rides which was very cool. Another time we booked a package.

The package we booked was a fireworks and dessert package which gave us access to a dedicated reserved lawn space to watch from and delicious desserts, snacks, and beverages for before or afterwards. This package is expensive at $99 per adult and $59 per child. It was nice not having to try and reserve a spot over an hour in advance for the show, and we did fill up on snacks and desserts which replaced a small meal we would’ve otherwise had. There is also a Seats and Treats package where you watch the fireworks from the Tomorrowland Terrace getting to sit the whole time.

Character Meet and Greets

Character meet and greets are also huge at Disney World. You can meet the following characters at Magic Kingdom though sometimes they’re not all there: Ariel in her area, Aladdin in his area, Cinderella, Tiana, and a visiting princess at the castle, Mickey at Town Square Theater, Maribel at Fairytale Garden, Peter Pan in Fantasyland, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger in their area, and Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck in the Pete’s Silly Sideshow.

These use to be reservable for lightning lanes. This may have been useful for kids who are more into characters than rides. Perhaps one day they will be again. Some of these lines can get very long, but most are not bad.

If a particular character is very important to you, you may want to go see him/her at the beginning of the day and then head to your first ride. It won’t take long, and you’ll probably be the first one in line (just make sure they’re scheduled to be there).

You may also want to bring an autograph book for each character to sign. My daughter used to love doing this! With it, you should have a big pen or marker so that characters wearing gloves can still grab it and sign easily.

Magic Kingdom Food

There’s no way I can delve into all of the food offered at Magic Kingdom. If food is important to you, check out one of the blogs or vlogs dedicated to all of the Disney food. I have a whole list of my favorite restaurants and food options for each park, so I will give you some of those!

My favorite table service restaurants are Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Liberty Tree Tavern, and the Plaza Restaurant. For counter service, my favorites are Casey’s Corner, Pecos Bill, and Sleepy Hollow.

My favorite snacks are an ice cream sundae at Plaza Ice Cream, tortilla chips and queso from Pecos Bill, Mickey Waffle with strawberries and whipped cream from Sleepy Hollow, warm cinnamon roll from Gaston’s Tavern, breadsticks with marina from Pinocchio Village, and a fruit smoothie or brownie sundae from Auntie Gravity’s.

My personal favorite snack in all of Disney World is the Orange Cream Soft-Serve Cup from Sunshine Tree Terrace. Sometimes they’re unable to make this if their soft serve ice cream machine is acting up, but it is by far my favorite snack in all of Disney World. Most people would give that trophy to the Dole Whip from Aloha Isle, but it is not my favorite. I’m only mentioning it because it literally has a cult-like following.

Some of these snacks could be a meal in and of itself and are great snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan. Also, if you are with someone else and on the Disney Dining Plan, then you could share a snack and get two snacks a day as opposed to one.

Interactive and Character Dining Experiences

There are numerous character dining experiences in and around Magic Kingdom! Although they eat up some of your day, they are a good experience in my opinion especially if you have kids. For any of the restaurants below, it is best to have them reserved 60 days in advance when you can make your selections. Even then, some are hard to snag.

Inside Magic Kingdom

At Magic Kingdom, there is the Crystal Palace which is a buffet with Winnie the Pooh and other Pooh characters. Ideally, you get this one super early before the park opens and when it’s a little cheaper.

Next, and undoubtedly the most popular is Cinderella’s Royal Table. We ate here at breakfast once because I had read that the breakfast was better food than the lunch or dinner, and it lived up to the hype. I got the banana-stuffed French toast, and my sister got the beef tenderloin. These are two of the best things I’ve eaten at Disney World.

The other advantage here, and a big reason I booked this when my daughter was 4, was to have the opportunity to meet multiple princesses throughout the experience. On the day we went, we met Cinderella (always there), Aurora, Snow White, Jasmine, and Rapunzel. This saved us time from trying to meet characters in the park, and the kids loved it.

Finally, in Magic Kingdom, there is also Be Our Guest with the Beast occasionally showing up at dinner. It is not technically considered a character dining meal because his appearances are random. I’m still including it here though because the theming helps make up for absence of a character. There is a lunch and dinner option. Both include a prix fixe 3-course menu (some choice in options) that is French inspired. Guests 9 and under can choose from more kid-friendly options.

Inside Resorts Near Magic Kingdom

There are also several character dining experiences at the resorts around Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary has Chef Mickey’s, which is typically a buffet. Multiple characters come around to greet you here including Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, and Minnie. They may not all be there each day, but there’s always several. You can easily walk here from Magic Kingdom or take the monorail which drops you off inside the building.

We have also eaten breakfast at ‘Ohana at the Polynesian which was also very good. They had Lilo, Stitch, and some other quintessential Disney characters walking around and greeting each table. Breakfast is also cheaper at Chef Mickey’s and ‘Ohana which is when we went both times. However, we went closer to lunch since breakfast goes till almost 12:30 at both places. This avoids a separate lunch and gives a nice break during the day. The best way to get here from Magic Kingdom is the monorail.

Ones We Haven’t Done

Grand Floridian has 1900 Park Fare with Mary Poppins which I haven’t been to. This is also best accessed with the monorail. Fort Wilderness has Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White for dinner with Dopey, Grumpy, and the Evil Queen. This one can be most easily accessed with the ferry.

Finally, at Fort Wilderness there is the Hoop De Due Musical Revue which is a really fun dining experience though no actual characters. This dinner show features comedy, music, and singing, paired with an all-you-care-to-enjoy, family-style meal of fried chicken, BBQ ribs, cornbread, and strawberry shortcake. You can get there with the ferry. It will drop you off at The Settlement which is the area that hosts this experience.

Leave extra time to explore Tri-Circle-D Ranch where the majestic horses of Main Street and Cinderella’ ponies are kept. There are many breeds. You can also take a pony or carriage ride for a fee. Carriage rides are reserved ahead of time, but pony rides are on a walk-in-only basis.

Magic Kingdom Special Events

Magic Kingdom has two separate special parties that run during parts of the year. These cost quite a bit, but they tend to be less crowded and have a lot of fun, extra special elements that you wouldn’t otherwise get. Plus, you don’t have to have separate tickets to enter Magic Kingdom unless you want to enter before the start time of the party. Technically the party starts at 7 each evening it’s available, but you can enter as early as 4. The party goes till midnight. Non-party guests have to leave by 6. This is a great strategy if you and your family can stay up late.

Magic Kingdom’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party usually runs on select dates from about August 15 to October 31. You can dress up in costumes, collect free candy, ride rides, meet characters who are not usually at the parks for meet and greets, and eat some special food that are available for purchase. There are also special overlays on many of the rides.

Magic Kingdom also has Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party which runs on select nights from early November through December. The times are all the same as the Halloween Party. Here you can also see special overlays, meet characters in holiday attire, ride rides, and have access to some special food for purchase. This party also has a special parade, special fireworks, a separate castle show, “snow” on Main Street, and complimentary cookies and hot cocoa.

As of right now, tickets are $119 to $229 per person depending on the date for the Halloween party and $169 to $229 a person for the Christmas party.

Two Other Special Activities Unique to Magic Kingdom

The first is the famous Bibbidi, Bobbidi Boutique. This is where kids aged 3 to 12 can get a magical makeover (with a hefty price). This needs to be reserved early! There are different packages. The most basic one includes a shirt, sash, cinch bag, hair, makeup, and nail polish for a price of $120.

The next one has a princess gown of your choice, a crown and wand, a necklace, sash, and cinch bag, and hair, makeup, and nails. This package is $230. The one time I was contemplating doing this, our trip was cancelled by Covid, but I was planning on buying a Disney princess dress and crown and bringing it from home and her wearing it to the park instead of paying that much more for the next package up.

There is also a package for boys. For $60, you get a knight shirt, a sword and shield, and a hairstyle with gel.

The next activity is actually free! It is the Pirate’s Adventure – Treasure of the 7 Seas. This is an interactive scavenger hunt with things to find all over the Adventureland area. If you’d like to do this, you go to the Crow’s Nest in Adventureland and pick up a talisman that allows you to read a secret treasure map (magic bands also work). Then you fend off enemies, evade capture, and search for hidden treasure. Each of the 5 missions take about 20 minutes to complete. You can start and stop at your convenience throughout the day, and you don’t have to do them all.

Epcot at Walt Disney World:

General Information and Strategy for Epcot

This park is HUGE and requires a lot of walking! The typical hours for Epcot are 9 to 9 with early entry starting at 8:30. Epcot consists of two different parts and two different entrances. The front of the park is now split into World Nature, World Discovery, and World Celebration (used to be Future World). This is where most of the rides are including the famous sphere which houses the ride Spaceship Earth.

The other part of Epcot is The World Showcase. This section displays Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Adventure (USA), Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, and Canada, offering immersive experiences with food, shopping, and entertainment from each culture. There are also some rides and shows sprinkled throughout.

Out of the two entrances, you could go to the front entrance where most people enter, or you could go to the International Gateway towards the back of the park. If you’re staying at one of the Crescent Lake Resorts, then you’d walk to the International Gateway and be in a prime spot to access one of the top two rides in the park before almost anyone else can even get to them. Also, if you’re staying at a resort with access to the Skyliner, you’d just hop on it to Epcot.

However, even if you’re not staying at one of those resorts, you can Uber to the Walt Disney World Swan or Dolphin. This is about a 10-to-15-minute walk from the International Gateway. This hotel is usually safest from being denied due to the fact that it is not a Walt Disney World hotel. This is definitely something you should consider if you really want to rope drop Remy’s or Frozen, but it would cost more.

Timing and Generic Strategy

The new best place to go if you’re rope dropping at the International Gateway and you have early entry is Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure followed by Frozen. If you’re rope dropping at the front entrance, then you’ll want to hit up Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind unless you’re paying for an ILL. Test Track is your next best option here followed by Soarin. Then, you can either tackle more of World Celebration or try to get to Frozen or Remy’s for a wait.

If you don’t have early entry, then just come at regular rope drop time and head to anything other than Guardians and Remy’s. You actually won’t be at a huge disadvantage with this route.

The front part of Epcot is busiest in the morning and early afternoon. A good strategy after getting some of the rides at the beginning is to start doing the World Showcase. Then hit up the front area later in the evening when most of the ride times are dramatically reduced.

The World Showcase is nice because there’s not as many things that you have to wait for and there are so many cool things to check out and explore. This may, however, get boring for younger kids. If you have kids in tow, you should consider getting them an Epcot passport book, and let them earn a stamp at each country you visit and/or participate in the Kidcot at each country. It’ll give them something to look forward to for each new country. There are also a lot of delicious food options that can help keep them content.

Epcot Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Strategy

Most experts are in agreement that a Lightning Lane Multi-Pass is not needed here if you have good strategy. Personally, I’d still probably buy it just to give myself even better odds. Just know, you won’t get nearly as much bang for your buck as Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. Also, if I couldn’t get at least one of the tier A rides in my selection, I’d be more hesitant to book it.