9 Tips to Make The Most of Your Disney World Vacation

When you’re planning your Disney World vacation, there are several things you should keep in mind to make the most of your time there. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to fit everything into your trip, but this can leave you exhausted and with less time to enjoy the parks. Instead, try these ten tips to make the most of your time at Disney World.

1) Arrive Early

Arriving early for your Disney World vacation isn’t a new idea—but it’s a good one. Arriving early means more time spent exploring some areas, more time on attractions, and less time in lines—which means you have a lot more fun! In order to get all that out of your vacation, arrive at least three hours prior to opening for visitors.

Arrive even earlier if you plan on visiting during peak season or want access to special events such as parades and fireworks. Don’t worry about showing up too early, however; there are plenty of things to do pre-opening, so you won’t be disappointed with an empty park.

Remember: You can never truly see it all no matter how much time you spend in Disney World; take advantage of your pre-opening access by hitting up specific destinations first thing!

It doesn’t hurt that Disney usually offers discounted prices for its guests who arrive before everyone else.

2) Know How To Avoid Long Lines

Arriving at a theme park before opening allows you to avoid long lines for popular rides. Plus, you won’t have any problem securing a spot on your favorite ride. If you arrive early enough, you’ll be able to experience some shows and attractions with little or no wait times.

This will make sure that everyone in your party has a good time and is able to get on all of their favorite rides. Early mornings are one of my favorite ways to explore a new theme park since I don’t have to deal with crowds. Of course, if an attraction doesn’t allow FastPass+, then you do not want to arrive too early as FastPass+ gives priority entry into select attractions after a short standby line.

Early risers should consider purchasing a Disney Extra Magic Hours ticket that provides access prior to official opening hours for one day at one or multiple Walt Disney World parks.

Please be aware that Disney has or is about to remove the FastPass system and is moving to a paid system, so one way to get around the long lines moving forward is to pay for it.

3) Don’t Forget Water On Hot Days

Bring plenty of water on hot days, especially when visiting more than one park. Walking around in hot weather can leave you dehydrated, especially if you plan on having a few drinks during your visit. Though there are plenty of places to get free ice water at Disney, it’s important not to rely solely on free beverages because they don’t always have enough for everyone.

With that in mind, bringing along a sports bottle or two will help ensure you stay hydrated throughout your trip. Also, remember that alcoholic drinks do cause dehydration so limit yourself to two per day and try switching them out with frozen cocktails. Frozen margaritas and daiquiris taste just as good without all of the extra sugar!

4) Dress For Success

Even if your trip is just a weekend getaway, you want to look nice. More than just looking good for yourself, dressing for theme park success makes it easier for you and everyone around you to enjoy themselves.

Here are some basic guidelines that will help keep you comfortable while making sure that other guests will be able to find space on popular rides with ease: Wear light colors whenever possible; light color t-shirts are always best especially for those hot Florida days and nights. The last thing you want to do is overheat while enjoying one of the most magical places in the world.

5) Know Which Rides Need Two Adults Per Rider

Some rides at Walt Disney World only allow one adult per rider, which means you need a guest who can accompany your kids on rides. If you don’t have someone with you who fits that bill but still wants to ride, make sure you make FastPass+ reservations for single riders at popular attractions so that your kids can ride alone while another adult waits in line for other popular rides. Some examples are Winnie-the-Pooh, Space Mountain, and Soarin’.

6) Use Google Maps To Navigate Around Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort is a large place. In fact, it’s so large that your GPS won’t work inside its borders. Even worse, thanks to Mickey Mouse and his friends, many of its roads are named differently than they would be in real life (Hollywood Studios Drive is actually Reams Road for example).

Google Maps has one great feature that can help you navigate Walt Disney World Resort with ease: offline maps. If you want to avoid roaming charges while at Disney World Resort, then make sure your phone is connected to a wifi network before leaving home. Then, load up Google Maps on your phone and download an offline map for Walt Disney World Resort. Now you’ll have access to turn-by-turn navigation throughout every inch of the park!

7) Map Out Your Itinerary Beforehand

Planning your itinerary before you hit Disney is an easy way to avoid losing time or sightseeing opportunities. It also means that once you arrive, you’ll be able to spend less time looking for things and more time actually experiencing them.

Look at maps beforehand so that once you get there, it will be easier to follow directions from park staff members who are leading tours. Plan out at least a few days in advance. Be realistic about what rides you have time for, but don’t shy away from something just because it seems scary or intimidating—you can come back another day!

Start by making checklists of must-dos. Your list should include attractions, snacks to try, places to eat dinner, shops to stop in, and souvenirs you want to buy.

8) Eat At Counter Service Restaurants Rather Than Full Service

By visiting counter-service restaurants rather than full-service restaurants, you’ll keep your dining bill under control. This is especially important if you have small children who may need to go back to their hotel room for a nap or some quiet time while you enjoy your meal. Don’t let them hold you back from experiencing everything that Walt Disney World has to offer!

These Are All Fun Things To Do: Starting your day off with a character breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Cinderella Castle—one of Disney’s signature restaurants —is an experience in itself. But one aspect that often gets overlooked in these meals is how much fun and value they can add to your entire vacation: If you want to ride Space Mountain and Splash Mountain during lunchtime crowds when wait times are long, there are plenty of places inside Magic Kingdom where you can eat and plan accordingly.

9) Get To Know Magic Kingdom’s Fireworks Show

If you’re a fan of fireworks displays, then you won’t want to miss Magic Kingdom’s new nightly firework show, Happily Ever After. This 25-minute display promises to give guests some epic views over some of your favorite rides, including it’s a small world.

While some nighttime shows can feel a bit underwhelming due to dim lighting and distant vantage points, Happily Ever After features brighter lights and an excellent view from the castle bridge. It’s even better if you snag a spot on Main Street U.S.A., through Main Street isn’t always available for viewing since it is used as access for park guests getting to other parts of Disneyland.

By arriving early in order to get a good spot near Main Street, though, visitors can enjoy more of Happily Ever After than they would be able if they were stuck out in one of the parks. The real tip here is to locate the spot you want to be for the fireworks and make sure someone is willing to go to that spot and save it for the show as the viewing area will fill up fast.