Who doesn’t love some good Disney World tips, tricks, and hacks? They can save you time and money. And sometimes, they can even save you unnecessary stress.
We’ve planned a lot of trips over the years and that means we’ve had lots of opportunities to learn the little things that can make a trip go that much more smoothly.
And, we think that the tips below may even help make some of the mundane parts of planning a little bit less stressful.
Ready to learn more? Let’s go!
How it works
We’ve grouped all the tips below by topic to make it easier for you to find the tips that are relevant for you.
And, if a tip or trick fits in multiple categories, we’ve put it in all that apply, so no need to worry that you’ll miss something important.
Finally, we’ve removed and updated this list to only include tips & tricks that are applicable right now. That means you aren’t going to see tips for nighttime shows or character meets.
But don’t worry – when those things return, we’ll update the tips below to reflect the best ways to handle those, too!
Attraction Tips
The back row on the coasters are typically the fastest and the roughest. Whenever possible, Cast Members will try to accommodate special seating requests.
Astro Orbiter, Dumbo, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and Triceratop Spin all have controls you can move that allow riders to go either up and down or tilt front to back.
For the best score on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, aim for targets that are smaller and further away. You can also hit the same target multiple times. Some of the targets that will get you the most points fast include the one on the left hand of the robot in the first room and the targets on the volcano (in the following room).
You can completely skip the scary portion of Haunted Mansion and bypass the stretching room and creepy parts to walk straight onto the ride. Just let a Cast Member know as you walk from the outside of the queue into the Mansion and they will escort you through some hallways and straight to the ride.
Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse will give you fantastic views of Magic Kingdom (and several cool spots for photos).
People are often scared to ride Mission: Space at Epcot due to the potential for motion sickness. One way to make it easier is to make sure you face forward during the ride. Parents often want to look at their children next to them, but the best idea is to just face forward and watch the screen in front of you.
Tom Sawyer Island is a great spot to let kids stretch their legs without having to wait in lines.
For most people, the 3-D effects in attractions like MuppetVision3D and Mickey’s PhilharMagic are best seen from further back in the theaters.
Cavalcade schedules aren’t published, but when one is near you’ll be able to tell because the music will get louder.
The animals on Kilimanjaro Safari are more active first thing in the morning or late afternoon.
Money-Saving Tips
You can save a ton of money by eating breakfast in your room and bringing your own drinks and snacks with you into the parks.
Have a big family? You can rent a camper which will give you a totally different experience while also giving you more beds than what you’ll find in 1 room at a regular resort.
While discounts are never guaranteed, you can get a good idea of what to expect by checking what discounts have previously been offered.
Just about anywhere at Disney World (including small kiosks) will give you cups of ice water for free. Consider this as an alternative to carrying water bottles which can be heavy, especially if you need several bottles of water for your family.
If you have an Annual Pass, are a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) member, or have a Disney Visa, don’t forget to ask about discounts when shopping and dining.
Book your trip during a less-busy time of the year for the lowest prices.
If you’re flying, consider booking flights on Tuesday or Wednesdays for the least expensive flights.
Unless you are absolutely positive you’ll need Park Hopper tickets, hold off buying them since you can always upgrade a ticket at Guest Services, but you can’t get your money back if you don’t use the Park Hopping feature.
Park Touring Tips
You can completely skip the scary portion of Haunted Mansion and bypass the stretching room and creepy parts to walk straight onto the ride. Just let a Cast Member know as you walk from the outside of the queue into the Mansion and they will escort you through some hallways and straight to the ride.
For optimal touring (and the shortest waits), you should arrive to all 4 parks before they open since it is not uncommon for all of the parks to open earlier than the posted time. This is especially true if staying onsite since onsite guests have the ability to utilize the Early Theme Park Entry option.
When arriving to a park for Early Theme Park Entry, check the tip boards in the park to see what attractions are open. The app usually doesn’t show what’s open before official park opening so the tip board can help.
If you’re walking down Main Street at Magic Kingdom and the streets seem really crowded, look at the sidewalks to see if they are less busy. People often stick to the street so the sidewalks can be a great way to get down Main Street with fewer people around you.
People are often scared to ride Mission: Space at Epcot due to the potential for motion sickness. One way to make it easier is to make sure you face forward during the ride. Parents often want to look at their children next to them, but the best idea is to just face forward and watch the screen in front of you.
People staying at Boardwalk/Epcot-area resorts (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan, Dolphin and Boardwalk) should think about buying Park Hopper tickets to take advantage of being so close to Epcot. Consider spending the first part of the day at another park, and then head over to Epcot in the evenings to eat at a restaurant and explore a few of the countries.
If little ones can’t ride a ride, don’t make them sit and wait for everybody else. Keep little kids busy doing other things. We have a chart of ideas in our Rider Switch article to keep little ones nearby but busy while bigger kids and adults ride.
The parks stay open later than the published closing time. The published closing time is when restaurants and line queues close, but the shops and photographers will still be out much later.
The first row of Soarin’ allows you to view the screen without any feet dangling; however, the third row of Soarin’ does not have extra motion like the first two rows, making it a good option for people prone to motion sickness.
Never underestimate the power of a midday break. Whenever possible try to get out of the parks (and the heat) for at least a few hours to allow everybody a chance to rest and recharge.
If it’s raining while you’re in the parks, don’t be afraid to still get pictures taken. If the PhotoPass photographers are still out you can get some fun shots.
If you like to shop, consider visiting the shops during the first hour the parks are open for lighter crowds or during the middle of the day when you need a break from the heat.
Make it easy for your group to know the daily plans without relying on their phones by creating pocket-sized itineraries that you laminate so that they are sweat and water-resistant.
Disney First Aid stations are fantastic resources. You’ll find them in all 4 parks and they are staffed with nurses that are able to dispense over-the-counter meds like Tylenol, allergy medications, bandaids, earplugs, etc. They also have spots available if you are feeling ill and need a place to lay down for a bit.
Walt Disney World is huge so to avoid getting lost (or spending your trip with your nose stuck in a map), spend some time at home before your trip looking at the parks on Google Street View. Or jump between nearby 360 photos in Google Maps or the ground-level view on Google Earth.
We suggest bringing a towel in your park bag to dry off seats after rain or claim your spot at a parade. As an alternative to a bath or hand towel that might be bulky, Turkish towels are a great idea. They’re super absorbent, but take up a lot less room even though they are large. Bonus, they dry pretty fast, too!
The headliners in each park are great, but when you are tired, hot, cranky, or just need to get out of the rain, head to the less popular attractions for a bit of a respite. They typically have low to no waits and are a great place to recharge for a bit.
If you are planning at least 1 full park day in every park, consider using your arrival day to visit a park with the purpose of knocking out one (or more) of the headliners. Doing that will make touring much more relaxed on your full day in the park.
Transportation Tips
If you’re staying off-site, strongly consider renting a car for your trip as shuttle services can be unreliable.
Make sure you are comparing apples to apples when considering the price of staying on-site vs. off-site. If staying offsite, be sure to add the cost of the rental car + daily parking at Disney World. Check TripAdvisor.com for reviews of your off-site hotel to see how others view the shuttles.
You can rent a car when staying at an on-site Disney World resort which can be helpful when spending some time at places outside of Disney World (like Universal, the beach, etc.). Alamo and National have offices at the on-site Disney World Car Care Center. They will send a shuttle to your Disney World resort to take you to get your car. The number for the Car Care Center is 407-824-3470. Be sure to check out the rental car info on Mousesavers.com for more info on renting a car, including ways to find the best deals, and check out info on using a car at Disney World for more tips.
People who will be using bus transportation to get from the airport to their Disney World resort and want a pic of the iconic Disney World sign should try to sit at the front. Learning how to use burst mode on your camera will help with taking pics while moving.
When taking Lyft from Epcot, you can go out the back entrance of the park at the International Gateway and catch a ride from Disney’s Beach Club Resort instead of using the front entrance of the park. This can save you a lot of steps depending on where you are in the park.
If using rideshare to the Boardwalk area, consider being dropped off at the Swan/Dolphin if you don’t have a dining reservation. They don’t require a reservation while the other resorts usually do.
Sometimes airlines will offer deeply discounted flights out of MCO. If you live within driving distance, and the flights to MCO are expensive, consider a 1-way car rental to Florida and then drop off the car at the airport. You can then use Magical Express or take a Lyft to your resort from there. At the end of your trip you can then fly home on your cheap airfare.
Use a Ziploc to prop up your phone on flights by using the tray clasp to hold it up.
Consider using Lyft as an alternative to a taxi on your trip. We’d recommend downloading the app and setting up your credit card beforehand.
When booking your trip, if possible we recommend waiting to book flights OR booking with an airline like Southwest that allows for free changes until after discounts for your trip dates have been announced. Sometimes when discounts are released, they don’t cover your exact trip dates but would work if you could modify your trip dates slightly. If you already have flights booked, this isn’t always possible since flights are usually nonrefundable and unchangeable. If it makes sense for your trip, try to wait to book flights to allow for maximum flexibility (don’t wait too long though – we recommend booking flights around 2 months or more before your trip).
If you want to take Magical Express at a different time than when your flight is arriving or departing, use a different flight number when making your reservation.
People traveling from Canada might consider flying from a U.S. city or getting a U.S. credit card to save money.
If you are flying into Orlando and planning to rent a car, be sure to check the neighborhood locations for better prices. You can often save a lot of money (even after paying for a Lyft/Uber to take you there) and the 1 way dropoff costs to return the car to the airport are typically just a few dollars.
When searching for airfare, use Kayak.com/flights to see if now is a good time to buy.
Flight prices can vary greatly from airport to airport so be sure to check all your options since sometimes you can save a lot of money by driving a bit to a different airport.
TSA pre-check can save you lots of time, especially at the Orlando Airport. Before you sign-up for it, though, make sure you check with your credit card company since many credit cards & loyalty programs will reimburse you for some or all of the application fee.
If you are staying at any of the Crescent Lake Resorts (Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk), you can hop on any of those resort buses when leaving any of the parks at the end of your day. The terminals are usually near each other at each park, and the resorts are connected by a path around the lake. The walk between any of the resorts isn’t bad, and you can really cut down on the time you’ll wait for a bus if you opt to go with the first available.
When driving to a park mid-day, have the driver drop off passengers at the front and then keep your eyes open for a parking spot near the front that was previously taken by somebody who’s already left for the day.
Guests staying at Pop Century, Art of Animation, Disney’s Riviera, and Caribbean Beach all have easy access to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios via the Disney Skyliner. It also makes it easy to utilize the connected resorts for dining.
If you’re flying for your trip, make sure you have reserved seats (or boarding group if you’re flying Southwest Airlines). Without it, there’s a good chance your family will be separated during your flight.
Southwest is a popular option for many families. If you are considering them, be sure you check fares as soon as your dates open as that is oftentimes when they are the least expensive.
If staying in an on-site resort near Magic Kingdom or Epcot, consider spending the first part of your day at a park and then the evenings at the park that you’re staying near to save transportation time.
If you’re checking multiple bags for your flight, check the heaviest bag first. If it happens to be over the weight limit, that’ll give you a chance to reallocate the weight to a lighter bag to avoid extra fees.
Valet parking at Disney resorts is $33/day and can come in really handy if you have a breakfast reservation at a resort near 1 of the parks. You can park at the resort for your breakfast reservation, walk to a nearby park, and return to your car at the end of the day which will allow you to avoid the bulk of the crowds at the parks.
Save time by pre-enrolling in rental car loyalty programs. Oftentimes those programs will let you skip the counter and head directly to your car.
Reservation Tips
Keep your eye on park hours, because often times when park hours are extended (and the parks either open up earlier or stay open later), new dining reservations for the extended hours also open up.
You can book your Disney World trip way before discounts are announced. People using a Disney agent or calling Disney can book up to 499 days in advance, and then when discounts are announced, you can have the discount applied to your existing reservation.
Before you reach your 60-day mark for Advanced Dining Reservations, make sure that your credit card info is up-to-date. Having to re-enter your credit card info can slow you down when trying to make difficult reservations.
For people staying on-site who want to make dining reservations 60 days ahead of time for their whole trip, we recommend logging completely out of the Disney website and then logging back in to make sure the dates for your whole trip are available to you.
To increase your chances of getting the dining reservation times you want, select a time and not a meal when making your reservation.
Book your dining reservations online 60 days before your trip begins because the website is available 1 hour earlier than the phone lines (the website is available at 6 a.m. vs. 7 a.m. for the phones). We recommend having your My Disney Experience account set up before this day and have your credit card handy for those reservations that require it. We would also suggest having the phone number on hand (407-WDW-DINE) in case the website is having technical issues.
Bounceback offers are promotions that are usually found in folders in Disney World resort rooms (if you don’t find one, dial 8844 from your room phone to ask what’s available). They are often good deals that you can take advantage of if you book your next trip while still at Disney World.
If you have trouble trying to find dining reservations for your party, try adjusting the number up (for example, from a party of 2 to a party of 4). Sometimes that will open up additional time slots. You can then adjust the number of guests down later.
For people traveling to Disney World with others, we suggest connecting as friends within My Disney Experience so that things like Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group reservations can be booked all at once.
You can cancel almost all dining reservations by midnight the night before without any penalty (though Disney officially says it’s 24 hours ahead of time). For more info about when all reservations can be made or canceled, see my info on how/when to make reservations.
Many of the restaurants in Disney Springs have limited reservation availability through Disney. If you can’t find what you want check out OpenTable for additional dining times.
Lots of people ask if they should use online check-in when staying at Disney Resorts which is an option 60 days before your trip begins. We recommend doing it to save time at check-in unless you want to ask for a room upgrade.
When traveling in a large group, make separate dining reservations if you can’t find one for your entire group and then check-in together. While it isn’t guaranteed that you will be seated together, there is a good chance you will at least end up side-by-side.
If you’re getting online or calling 60 days in advance to make Advance Dining Reservations, make dining reservations in order of difficulty, not chronological order.
Tips for traveling with small children
People using a stroller during their trip who are worried about valuables being stolen should consider packing 2 bags – 1 with valuables and 1 with other items. When the stroller is parked, just take the bag with your valuables in it.
Consider renting a stroller from an offsite vendor vs. renting from Disney. Renting offsite can save you money and will give you access to the stroller for all parts of your trip (not just for the time you are in the parks). See our complete comparison of options to help you decide.
You can completely skip the scary portion of Haunted Mansion and bypass the stretching room and creepy parts to walk straight onto the ride. Just let a Cast Member know as you walk from the outside of the queue into the Mansion and they will escort you through some hallways and straight to the ride. You get ahead of all those people in the stretching room and your kid avoids the scariest part.
Hunger is often the source of unhappy children. Have snacks ready to help prevent meltdowns.
The auto-flush toilets often scare little ones at Disney World, so use the manual flush ones in the Baby Care Centers, or plan to cover the sensors on the toilets with your hand, a Post-it Note, or a sticker.
If little ones can’t ride a ride, don’t make them sit and wait for everybody else. Keep little kids busy doing other things. We have a chart of ideas in our Rider Switch article to keep little ones nearby but busy while bigger kids and adults ride.
To help your kids prep for a trip, watch videos of Disney World attractions on YouTube.
Baby wearing infants during your trip can be convenient, but if you aren’t used to the heat and humidity you may have some unexpected discomfort. Consider alternating between carriers, using moleskin, applying anti-chafing gel, sharing babywearing duties with somebody else, taking advantage of your resort’s hot tub, and using Bengay for sore muscles. Also, make sure you’re physically prepared by wearing your baby for extended periods before your trip. Check your local babywearing group where you might be able to borrow or rent a carrier. Make sure your baby is protected from the sun while babywearing.
Since there are two stroller-rental locations at Epcot (the other parks just have 1), you could visit one of them mid-day after your child gets tired of walking. One of the stroller rental locations is near the front of the park, and the other is located in the World Showcase at the International Gateway near the U.K. pavilion.
You may want to watch Disney movies to prepare for your Disney World trip. Disney+ is a great place to find tons of movies that are represented in the parks.
If you are planning a late night in the park, consider bringing your child’s PJs with you and changing them into them before they fall asleep. That way when you get back to your room you can (hopefully!) slip them into bed without waking them up.
If you have a stroller with a cup holder, consider using cups or themoses with lids that seal to make it easy to store your cups when it is time to fold the stroller.
If traveling with children, temporary tattoos (like SafetyTat) are an easy way to ensure that your phone number is nearby if they get separated from you.
For little ones (or people with smaller heads), you may find that you’ll need to hold your 3D glasses in the correct position.
Disney has designated stroller parking areas thoughout the park. Look for the signs (or a nearby Cast Member) for help.
Cast Members will often rearrange parked strollers to keep walkways clear. That’s why we recommend using something like a balloon or brightly colored piece of cloth to make it easy to spot your stroller.
Consider using small glow sticks on dark rides for kids who are a little scared but still want to ride. It’s just enough light to help them without bothering other guests.
If you have a stroller with a low tire, the stroller rental locations at the parks, as well as most resorts, have air pumps you can use.
Dining Tips
Just about anywhere at Disney World (including small kiosks) will give you cups of ice water for free. Consider this as an alternative to carrying water bottles which can be heavy, especially if you need several bottles of water for your family.
Check your receipt during your Disney World trip to see if a coupon has been included. For instance, there’s often a discount of 10% off of Disney Springs merchandise that’s included on receipts at Magic Kingdom Quick Service restaurants.
To increase your chances of getting the dining reservation times you want, when prompted to enter when you want to dine, select a specific time and not a meal.
You can find Starbucks locations inside of all 4 parks as well as in Disney Springs. But, the trick is that many of the locations aren’t called “Starbucks” so you may not even know they are there (even though they are full-service locations).
There are many Landry’s restaurants nationwide and 4 located at Disney World – 2 Rainforest Cafe locations, T-Rex Cafe, and Yak and Yeti. If you sign up for Landry’s Select Club, you get extra perks such as a $25 credit during your birthday month, priority seating, and 10% off merchandise. It does cost a one-time fee of $25 to join, but you get that amount back in restaurant credit within 24 hours of signing up.
When you are planning where to eat, make sure you’re also planning on how to get there – especially if you’re planning to dine at a resort. Our WDW Prep School Navigator is a free tool that will show you how to get around the entire Disney World Resort.
When booking dining reservations, you can save time by bookmarking the restaurants you wish to book in your browser (or even by having multiple tabs open). Just a reminder that you should always make dining reservations in order of difficulty, not chronologically.
Refillable mugs can be purchased at Disney resorts. They come in 4 colors, but if you have more than 4 people, it might be handy to mix and match lid colors to create new color combos that will help you tell them apart.
You can cancel almost all dining reservations by midnight the night before without any penalty (though Disney officially says it’s 24 hours ahead of time).
To avoid carrying your refillable mugs into the parks, take your mugs to the food court to fill them up. After that, return to your room and pour them into the disposable cups in your room so you can take the disposable cups to the parks with you. This will keep you from having to carry around your refillable mugs all day.
Consider splitting or sharing meals so you won’t be lethargic after meals and to give yourself a chance to try more restaurants.
Character meals are a great way to see lots of characters at once.
When you’re planning where to dine, you should always try to eat near to where you’ll be to avoid spending lots of time on Disney transportation.
Bring rubber bands or Ziplocs to store/close unfinished bags of snacks.
You can make notes on your reservation if you are celebrating something special like a birthday or anniversary. You aren’t guaranteed anything extra, but some restaurants will try to do something special for you.
When traveling in a large group, make separate dining reservations if you can’t find one for your entire group and then check-in together. While it isn’t guaranteed that you will be seated together, there is a good chance you will at least end up side-by-side.
Many of the restaurants in Disney Springs have limited reservation availability through Disney. If you can’t find what you want check out OpenTable for additional dining times.
Book your dining reservations online 60 days before your trip begins because the website is available 1 hour earlier than the phone lines (the website is available at 6 a.m. vs. 7 a.m. for the phones). We recommend having your My Disney Experience account setup before this day and have your credit card handy for those reservations that require it. We would also suggest having the phone number on hand (407-WDW-DINE) in case the website is having technical issues.
Disney World is known for being a great place to travel if you have food allergies. The most common allergies can be noted when you make your reservations, however, if yours isn’t listed you can contact Disney for assistance.
When planning your dining and food budget, don’t forget to include tips for table service restaurants, including buffets and character meals.
For people staying on-site who want to make dining reservations 60 days ahead of time for their whole trip, we recommend logging completely out of the Disney website and then logging back in to make sure the dates for your whole trip are available to you.
Call The Boathouse directly (407-939-2628) if you’re having trouble finding reservations in the Disney Dining system or on OpenTable.
If you are traveling during the hot summer months or during the busiest times of the year (like the holidays), consider booking Table Service meals for lunch. They can be a great respite from the heat and heavy crowds.
If you need to cancel a dining reservation, you can try to reschedule it for 2 or more days later so you can cancel it without a penalty.
The festivals at Epcot (like the highly popular International Food & Wine Festival) offer lots of opportunities to sample a wide variety of culinary treats.
Consider going to Contempo Cafe or Steakhouse 71 at the Contemporary Resort on your Magic Kingdom day for good food and atmosphere that’s only a monorail stop away.
Bringing groceries like breakfast items or snacks or having stuff delivered to your resort is a great way to save some money on your food expenses.
You can modify dining reservations online (such as number of guests and the reservation time) by clicking “Change Reservation” in My Disney Experience.
If you have trouble trying to find dining reservations for your party, try adjusting the number up (for example, from a party of 2 to a party of 4). Sometimes that will open up additional time slots. You can then adjust the number of guests down later.
Try to use Mobile Ordering whenever possible. It can help save time plus it often makes the ordering process easier for families and small groups.
Some resort Table Service restaurants now offer Mobile Order for to-go meals. This is a great option for guests wishing to avoid dining indoors.
Staying at Art of Animation or Pop Century? Consider a dining reservation at Riviera Resort which is just a Skyliner ride away.
If you enjoy popcorn, consider purchasing a refillable popcorn bucket. Prices for buckets start around $12 (and go up for specialty designs) but you can refill them for around $2.00 the entire length of your trip.
Mask Tips
UPDATE: Mask Policy
Starting February 17, 2022, face coverings will be optional for fully vaccinated guests in both outdoor and indoor attractions, queues, and restaurants. Guests who are not fully vaccinated will be expected to continue wearing face coverings whenever inside, including when on attractions and indoor theaters.
Guest visiting Walt Disney World ages 2 and older (including those who are vaccinated) must still wear masks on all enclosed transportation, including buses, monorails and at the Disney Skyliner.
Since you’ll be wearing masks for long periods of time in the park, make sure the masks you plan to use are comfortable. Try several different styles, and whenever possible, practice wearing them in conditions that will be similar to what you’ll find in the parks.
Bring extra masks with you into the parks…especially if you’re traveling during the hot summer months.
Consider bringing an empty bag or Ziplock to store dirty masks.
If you aren’t used to wearing a mask for extended periods of time, consider getting ear savers (or something similar) to take the pressure off of your ears.
Consider bringing a small fan. Masks are great for safety, but they can make your face hot. A small fan can do a lot to keep you cool.
Photography Tips
Take lots (and lots) of photos. Unlike the olden days when we used cameras with film, digital images make it much easier to take tons of photos, which increases your odds of getting that perfect shot.
When holding your camera (or phone), hold it at eye level, not above your head. You’re gonna get a better shot if you can see what you’re photographing, and holding your phone or camera up high is distracting to people around you.
Don’t be afraid to change your angle by getting low or moving a few steps in either direction to improve the framing.
Not everything has to be staged. When it comes to memories, candid shots will tell the stories you’ll remember for a lifetime.
Don’t forget about PhotoPass. Even if you aren’t positive you’ll buy the photo, it is still free for them to take the shot. And, if you have purchased Memory Maker, it makes sense to stop for lots of pics in the park.
Even More Disney World Planning Tips
Want more? We have lots of additional tip resources for you! Check out the links below for more Disney World tips, tricks, and hacks.
Important note: Some of the information in the links below may be impacted by the phased re-opening of Walt Disney World.
Please visit our 2022 Vacation Planner for the most up-to-date information.
