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MAJOR Lessons To Help You Navigate Walt Disney World

We absolutely love our trips to Walt Disney World, but there are still so many things we have to keep in mind to ensure an enjoyable vacation.
After spending many family vacations in the magic, we have learned some important lessons to pass along to you. We hope that the lessons we have learned over time, sometimes the hard way, will help you have a fantastic vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Doing Some Learning
The first lesson we learned is that we needed to take some to learn about Walt Disney World before we even arrived at the magic. There is so much that goes into a Walt Disney World vacation, from the four Theme Parks to the Resorts, that it is important to learn about these areas.
Take some time to look at the My Disney Experience app to familiarize yourself with the maps of the Disney Parks. This will help you find rides, attractions, dining, and even bathrooms throughout the four Theme Parks.
Even though there is only so much you can do before you arrive, reading blogs (like this one) or listening to podcasts to become more educated in all things Disney.

Have a Plan
This is more important now than ever when heading to Walt Disney World. Even if you don’t want to make a touring plan for each day of your vacation, we highly recommend having a plan before hitting the Parks.
Take time to determine what ride/attraction you will go to first so everyone is on the same page, and you don’t lose any time when you arrive.
Think about what dining options you want to make sure to stop at or what snacks you want to make sure you enjoy.
Taking time to do this will make you less overwhelmed when you arrive at Disney Park each day.
Not sure where to start? We have our top five rides not to miss HERE.
Be realistic
Although we would love to think that crowds will be low and we will walk onto every ride we want, this probably isn’t the case or realistic.
We have seen Disney become busier as the year has continued so set realistic expectations regarding what to expect.
Have a plan for navigating the crowds while you are there so you are prepared for them ahead of time. If you are looking for options, we have suggestions HERE on how to avoid crowds during your trip.
You could also consider purchasing Genie+ as another option to navigate the parks ahead of the crowds.
Don’t go into the trip with unrealistic expectations only to be disappointed. Instead, be realistic that there will be lines and crowds, and have a plan for successfully navigating them.
Disney Is Big
If you have never been to Walt Disney World, you might be surprised to learn how big it really is. Walt Disney World is more than just the four main Theme Parks; it also includes two water parks, Disney Springs, over 25 Resorts, golf courses, and so much more.
Because it is so big, it takes a while to navigate Walt Disney World. Whether it is riding the bus to the Theme Park in the morning or walking around EPCOT, everything will take some time.
Be aware of this and schedule transportation and travel time into your plans. If you want to visit other Resorts, you will need to plan up to 90 minutes of travel between them.
In the morning, know that your trip to the Disney Parks might be 20 to 30 minutes with traffic and picking up everyone.
Regarding Theme Parks, know that it will take some time to navigate between the different lands. You won’t be able to quickly jump from Space Mountain to Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom or World Showcase to Test Track in EPCOT.

Plan to walk around the parks for 10 minutes or more so you aren’t rushed and miss important Genie+ return times or dining reservations.
Understanding how big Disney is can help you navigate during your Disney vacation.
My Disney Experience Is Key
Disney’s official app for Walt Disney World is My Disney Experience. This app is super important for having a great vacation. We have some key information about the app HERE, but just know it is your key to everything Disney.
Now more than ever, MDE is a key aspect of a Walt Disney World vacation. This app allows Guests to mobile order, open their Resort room, see wait times, and so much more.
Because this app is so useful and important to a successful trip, we highly recommend taking time to explore what it has to offer before your vacation. By doing so, you will be more comfortable using it and, therefore, able to use it throughout your Disney vacation successfully.
Look Up
The list lesson we learned in Walt Disney World is to be aware of our surroundings and look up. This might seem silly, but so often Guests in Walt Disney World follow the crowd. If you take a moment to look around, you will often find shorter lines.
When entering the Park or standing in line for food, look around to see if there are shorter lines to the side. Often, Guests gravitate to the same lines, making ones further down shorter.
Doing so will often result in shorter lines and less crowding. Don’t follow the crowd; instead, take time to see what is going on around you.
These are some of the major lessons we have learned during our vacations to Walt Disney World. We hope they will also help you have a great and magical trip.