We enjoy helping Guests plan their Walt Disney World vacation here at How to Disney. Where to eat, where to stay, and how to tour the Parks are all Disney advice we like to provide our readers.
With that being said, there are some pieces of advice when it comes to planning a Walt Disney World vacation that you might be able to take or leave.
Take a look at what advice we think you might not always need to listen to as you plan a magical vacation to Disney.
Plan Everything Out
We are a planning site, so we obviously think that having a plan when you go to Walt Disney World is important; however, don’t think that you have to plan out every moment of every day.
Instead of feeling like you need to have a strict plan every day, have a list of those must-do rides and experiences that your travel party wants to make sure they get to. Think about three to five each day, and then everything else you get to do will be a bonus.
While it is important to have an overall plan, as you will need to make Park Pass Reservations before arriving at Walt Disney World, making a plan that doesn’t have any room for magical moments isn’t the best advice.
You Have to Ride …..
If you research Walt Disney World, you will find that blogs and vlogs will give you a list of must-dos for rides and experiences around the Park. We even have our top picks HERE at How to Disney.
This is a great place to start; however, you don’t have to do all of them. When you look over these must-do suggestions, keep in mind what is important to your family.
Rise of the Resistance is the top must-do experience in Walt Disney World right now. It is an unbelievable adventure that takes Guests into the movie like never before. With all that said, if your family hasn’t seen any Star Wars movies, doesn’t want the stress of getting a boarding pass, or doesn’t have time to visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this ride might not be a must-do for you- and that is okay.
Look into what the rides are and if they are something that your family will want to experience. My daughter loves Space Mountain; however, as I have gotten older, I no longer feel the need to get thrown around again, that is okay.
We all have different loves when it comes to Walt Disney World so don’t feel like someone else’s must-do experience is the same as yours.
Make Sure You Eat Here
Another area that people will give you must-do advice is when it comes to dining. We agree that there are some dining experiences that are better than others but that doesn’t mean they are must-do dining experiences for your family.
One good example of this is Cinderella’s Royal Table which is located inside the castle itself. This dining location is unbelievable as you can imagine. It truly takes you inside the story and beauty of the castle; however, if you don’t care about princesses or look at the menu and don’t find anything you would enjoy, don’t feel pressured to eat here.
There are other great options when it comes to dining so don’t push yourself to eat at those places that others feel are must-dos as they might enjoy different things than you do. Take time to look over the menus to make sure it is a fit for your family.
Keep in mind that you also don’t have to do table service meals in order to have great meals at Walt Disney World. Check out some of our top quick service options HERE.
You Have To Get a Park Hopper
Walt Disney World has four main theme parks to visit on vacation. If you are interested in being able to travel between the four parks in one day, you will need a Park Hopper. Some Disney veterans might tell you that it is a must-get but look into the facts to determine for your family.
Right now in Disney World, Guests can hop to a second Park after 2:00 pm, and after they have visited the Park they made their initial Park pass reservations for that day. This limits your Park Hopping option to the late afternoon and evening. Double-check the Park hours to make sure if you do choose to hop that it will provide you with enough time after 2.
Sometimes Animal Kingdom closes early, which would only give you a limited time in the Park. Another thing to think about is if your family is one that will want to hop from Park to Park. If you have little ones, hopping between parks might be a lot of work. You have to gather everything up and use Disney transportation which sometimes can take up to an hour or more to get where you want to go. Look into your plans to determine if the cost of the Park Hopper will work for your family.
Genie+ is a Must
A new piece of advice that you can take or leave revolves around Genie+. This new paid feature is $15/person/day and gives Guests access to the lightning lane (queue) to over 40 attractions in the four Theme Parks.
Guests using Genie+ are said to be able to bypass the standby lines for two to three rides per day saving that time in line and allowing them to do other experiences in the Disney Park.
Although Genie+ can be extremely helpful when touring, it isn’t always a must. The use of Genie+ in all four Theme Parks isn’t created equal. Where Magic Kingdom has numerous rides, attractions, and experiences that participate in Genie+ over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Guests have fewer options.
Before purchasing Genie+ for every day of your vacation, take time to look into if it will be the best option for your travel plans.
Here at How to Disney, we enjoy helping Guests as they plan their Walt Disney World vacation. Giving advice on dining, rides, and more is something we like to do for our readers. With that being said, there are some bits of advice that you can take or leave. We hope that this will help you navigate what advice will be the best for your Walt Disney World vacation.
