Guide To Walt Disney World – To Get The Most Out Of Your Trip

Guide To Walt Disney World- To Get The Most Out Of Your Trip

As many of you know, I am a huge Disney fan! That being said, I am excited to share with you a guide to Walt Disney World. I’ve been to Walt Disney World 7 times and if I could, I’d go several times each year! My first trip was back in January of 2000. I was in 4th grade and it was my favorite family vacation we had ever been on. My family and I feel in love with Walt Disney World from then on and for the next few years, we went to Disney World every spring break. We still call it to this day our home away from home. It is truly magical place, where memories are made that will last a lifetime!

I’ll share and teach you ways to save time, money, and how to have a magical time at the world’s happiest place on earth! I share with you all my family tricks, best time to go each year, and how to survive the busiest seasons, too. Grab your Mickey ears, get ready to start planning your next Disney vacation!

Do: Start saving money for your trip.

Grab a empty mason jar or buy a shadow box gallery frame to use for stowing away money. One easy way to start saving money before the trip is to buy 1 or 2 preassigned $50.00 Disney gift cards that you see at the checkout at Target every month up until the trip. These are great because you can use them for anything at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland. You can use the gift cards on the Disney hotels, all the stores at the theme parks, restaurants, and even the Disney Park tickets! If you are traveling with kids, you can buy one for each kid a gift card to use as spending money.

Do: Shop around for the right hotel.

Disney does offer 31 hotels and resorts with amazing perks, such as, extended hours, free parking at the parks, almost walking distance to the parks, and over the top themed rooms that your kids will be in Disney heaven. But if your planning a tighter budget vacation, don’t worry! There so many hotel to choose from in the surrounding area for much cheaper and with amazing perks as well. For instance, the hotels around the downtown Disney Springs area are consider Disney hotels because of being just on the line of Walt Disney World. These hotels offer free bus transportation to all the parks and have scheduled buses all day long so you can go back to for your afternoon nap. Which by the way, taking a free shuttle bus to the parks will save you a lot of money. Parking at the theme parks will cost you $20.00 every time.

Actually as a matter of fact, my family has never stayed at a Disney resort or hotel because we always had a tighter budget. We look for hotels that offer free hot breakfast and free shuttles to the parks. My family would eat our biggest meal of the day, we grab apples and bananas to go for our snack before lunch. We also made sure our hotel room had either a fridge or mini kitchenette. As soon as we would arrive, we always make a trip to nearest grocery store and bought food for packed lunches along with snack food. Packing a lunch and a snack always saved us a lot money because food is expensive at Disney.

Do: Fastpass+ for the main attractions.

Fastpass+ essentially holds your spot in line, leaving you free to explore other parts of the park. This will give you more time to enjoy another ride, get a quick treat, let the kids play in designated play areas, or to sit and rest.  Now  this is where the planning ahead comes in handy. For instance, at Magic Kingdom I would use my Fastpass+ on the major attractions first. Such as Splash Mountain, Seven Dwarf Mine Train, Thunder Mountain, Or Enchanted Tales with Belle. You get 3 Fastpass+ each, then after you enjoy your third FastPass+, you’re free to make another selection at an in-park kiosk or on your mobile device. Use that one, then get one more and repeat! Many people forget this tool, which always surprises me.

Do: Create a game plan for your entire Disney vacation.

This is one mistake a lot of people make, especially first timers. My parents did this our first Walt Disney World trip. You can call any travel agent either from Disney or another company and they can send you several booklets with maps, list of attractions,etc for each park. This is a fun way to include your kids, by having them pick out what ride(s) or show(s) they want to see or experience. This is great way to narrow down what your 3 Fastpass+ will be. Now it is good to remember you will be doing a lot of walking and weather can be unpredictable in Florida, especially with rain. With that in mind, don’t rush yourself. Set a pace, take a break, and drink plenty of water. And if you are traveling with kids either 5 and under or even some older, you might want to rent a stroller or bring one. You don’t want to tired and grumpy kiddos. They need a break too, which is why all the Disney theme parks have designated play areas with plenty of benches or resting spots.

Which leads me to packing for Disney. If you are planning to go during spring break. Be prepared for the heat and busy crowds. Which that includes the holiday season (Thanksgiving & Christmas). Make sure to pack plenty of sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes (not brand new ones), your own little notebook or notepad for autographs from your favorite Disney characters (budget tip: the autograph books at Walt Disney World range in price at the parks from $8-$16, go to the dollar store and get one for cheaper), etc. Here is great free packing list for your next Disney World trip. Another tip for packing, is to buy some Disney apparel ahead of the trip. You can find some cute t-shirts at Target or Walmart. That way you have a cute outfit for the first day of your trip.

Do: Explore all that Walt Disney World and Florida has to offer.

Like I have mentioned before, Disney does offer 31 hotels and resorts. You don’t have to stay at those hotels to explore them. Most of the Disney hotels and resorts have a restaurant or two. Maybe after spending the day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, go grab a bite to eat along Disney’s Broadwalk Inn at Trattoria al Forno.

Definitely fit a day in between the theme parks for time to explore Florida. Take a day trip to the beach, visit a water park, or drive to Miami and check out the city life (3 and half hour drive). In the mood for shopping, make sure to hit Disney Springs! There are a ton on shops and restaurants.

I hope this guide helps you have a magical time at Walt Disney World! It is my favorite place to visit, no joke! You will create so many memories for years to come.

P. S.  I heard you can ask for pixie dust and when you do, they sprinkle more magic into your special day!

Comment below with your own Disney vacation tips!

Megan
(Follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter)