PlanningThe ParksTips

Important Walt Disney World Tips

You might feel like planning a Walt Disney World vacation is a part-time or even full-time job.  Determining where to stay, what Theme Parks to visit on which days and the top snacks you don’t want to miss out on can be a lot.

To help you with your planning, we have some important Disney tips that will help you as you are planning your Walt Disney World vacation.

Walt Disney World Map
Credit: Disney

Walt Disney World is BIG

Something that a lot of people don’t understand when planning is that Walt Disney World is huge.  With four Theme Parks, two water parks, over 30 Resorts and Disney Springs, the Walt Disney World Resort truly is a whole city.

Because it is so big, it will take you sometime to get from place to place while visiting.  Make sure you keep this in mind when you are planning you Disney vacation.  Understand that it takes a few minutes – or longer- to get anywhere in Disney.

Travel time in between your Disney Resort and Theme Park of choice can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes of transportation time.  Keep this in mind when you are scheduling your dining or breaks in the day.

Another area that this will impact will be walking.  Don’t think that you are going to just jump back and forth from the different lands in Magic Kingdom or EPCOT as it will take a while to get there.  Most Guests walk between 8 to 12 miles a day!

We are assuming that your daily life doesn’t probably include this for everyone in your family so make sure to plan some down time to allow those feet to rest.  The big Disney tip here is don’t rush during your Disney vacation- know that everything will take longer than you think and that is okay because you are still in the magic.

Resort_YachtClub_Distance

Take Advantage of Your Resort

Walt Disney World Resorts are just as magical as the Disney Parks.  When you are planning your vacation, schedule in some time to enjoy your Walt Disney World Resort.

Take time to look at what dining options are available, where the pools are located (see our favorites HERE), and where the bus stops are throughout the Resort.  Knowing this ahead of time will make the Resort feel more familiar when you arrive.

Also, make sure you check on what activities are being offered at your Resort during your stay.  This might not be available before you head down, but see if you can find if they are doing movies under the stars or any crafts while you are there.  These are fun activities that kids really enjoy participating in.

Take some time to really learn about your resort as it is a huge part of the magic.

Know What Will Be Closed

Before you head down, take time to look into what rides and attractions might be closed during your vacation.  Walt Disney World releases a refurbishment list and keeps it posted on their website for Guests to see.

This will help prevent major meltdowns if a favorite ride is closed when you are visiting.  If you know this ahead of time, you can communicate that and won’t be surprised when you arrive at the theme park.

TowerofTerror
Credit: Disney

List Must-Dos

Take time to discuss what everyone’s must-dos are while in the Theme Parks.  By doing this, you can know ahead of time what  rides and attractions should be at the top of your list.

This can help you make a touring plan prior to arriving at the theme park that day and help everyone be aware of the goals.  Have everyone list that one ride and one food item that they really want to experience and then create a plan from there.

mobile order
Credit: Disney

Mobile Ordering

Mobile ordering is how guests are able to order food from quick-service locations throughout Walt Disney World.  Make sure you know where this is found within My Disney Experience and that you have your credit card information loaded.

Doing this ahead of time can help you be ready when your little ones are getting hungry and ready for a meal.

With this in mind, consider ordering early on in the day so you can choose a pick up time that works best for your plans.  By doing this, you can ensure that you have a pick up time for the day at a location that has food that you want.

Mobile ordering is a big part of a Disney vacation so making sure you know how it works can really make it less stressful when arriving at Walt Disney World.

credit: Disney

Disney Genie and Genie+

These two features are a huge, new part of a Walt Disney World vacation.  We have lots of reading to help you get to know what Disney Genie is as well as suggestions for Genie+ during your vacation.

These two features can be extremely helpful, but you need to take some time to learn about them before heading down.  Figure out if these features are ones that you should use or if they aren’t.

Not Perfect

Finally, our last time is that your trip won’t be perfect and you need to be okay with that before heading down.  No matter how much you plan, unexpected things happen and that’s okay.

Give yourself some grace and make sure you take in the magic all around you.  Even if your plans are thrown out the window, you have done your research and will be able to navigate just fine.

Don’t go into the trip thinking everything will work out as you have planned.  Kids and adults get tired, it could rain, your kid might want to ride Dumbo seven times- and all of those things won’t take away from the magic.

Sometimes the most magical moments are those that we don’t plan for and just come around and surprise us.

These are just a few tips to help you prepare for your Walt Disney World vacation.  Find more tips and suggestions HERE.

If you are looking for help with packing, we have some tips from the pros HERE as well as what’s in our Disney Park bag HERE.

Jennifer Retzlaff

Jennifer became a lifelong Disney fan during her first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of her life. She quickly started to introduce her love of Disney to her family with a Disney honeymoon and then family trips when her youngest was 18 months old. She loves the magic that Disney brings to people through theme parks, cruises, and adventures. As a teacher, she tries to bring Disney magic into her classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” She is also part of the Magic Vacation Planner team as a personal travel advisor. With this team, she can now help others plan magical vacations. She loves bringing her love to Disney to readers with How to Disney.

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