31 Ways to Make the Most of Your Disney Vacation

Note: Since first posting this information Disney has changed their fast pass process significantly. I am in the process of researching the changes for our upcoming trip and will update this post to reflect those changes soon.

This past weekend we returned from our magical vacation in Walt Disney World. Having visited the parks 20+ times throughout my life but never with my little ones, I had dreamed about this vacation for years. After much planning, strategizing and anticipation, we experienced a truly magical time in the happiest place on earth. Today I am sharing some secrets I learned along the way that may help you make the most of your Disney experience. Stick with me through the details because at the end of the post, I’m sharing our budget and how I put together a wonderful week in Walt Disney World for under $650 per person, all in {including food and souvenirs}!

6 Secrets to Know Before You Go

1. When should I go? This really depends on your priorities. Obviously, summer is the busiest time of year for Disney World and the hottest. For these two reasons alone, we chose to go in January. However, there were downfalls to going in the winter as well. Most rides {especially water rides} are renovated or shut down for routine maintenance in the winter as attendance is at its lowest. While the weather was perfect {60’s and 70’s and sunny}, we still encountered large crowds. January is one of the most popular months for international tourists to visit the parks so be prepared for language barriers, however, enjoy the fact that Mickey Mouse is the same no matter what language you are speaking. In short, stick with June-August if you want maximum ride exposure and hot, hot heat. Visit during the fall and spring if your schedule allows for a balance of better weather and more open rides. Lastly, if you do not mind a few closed attraction {you can never get to them all anyway} and you prefer spring like weather {yes, please!}, then plan a visit in January or February. December is one of the most magical times to visit Disney with its complete Christmas adornment but it’s also the busiest season with over 60,000 visitors per day in the Magic Kingdom alone.
2. How many days do I need in each park? It’s tough to do any of the parks in one day. Disney is adding many magical attractions every season to every park to enhance your experience which makes it harder and harder to get them all in. We did Magic Kingdom in two days and did not see everything. We did Animal Kingdom in one day and did not see everything. Based on my years of experience {I’m from Florida and have been to some of the parks 20+ times} and my new knowledge of the attractions they are adding, I recommend Magic Kingdom – 3 days, Animal Kingdom – 1-2 days, Epcot – 1-2 days, Hollywood Studios – 1-2 days. If you are traveling with small children {preschool-early elem}, focus on Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. Save Epcot and Hollywood Studios for when your kids can truly appreciate them {ages 7+}.
3. What are the best resources for a our trip? Disney does a wonderful job online with information about the parks. In addition to their sites, I highly recommend The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2013 (Unofficial Guides). The guide is totally comprehensive and offered many helpful tips, tricks and even family specific touring plans. Make sure to purchase the current year’s guide as many attractions and policies change year to year. I would also recommend browsing Pinterest where you will find many links to helpful blog posts such as this one and this one. The best app to use on your smartphone throughout your visit is the My Disney Experience app which shows you current wait times for each attraction as well as Fast Pass availability and character locations.
4. What are cast members? The term “cast member” refers to any employee working in or around the Disney parks. These people are incredibly well-trained and are there to meet your every need. You truly will feel like a princess {or prince} after being attended to by Disney cast members. With the exception of the food service personnel {they were fine but not exceptional}, all cast members we encountered were amazing! It was obvious they were trained to make our experience truly magical. Utilize these helpful friends as on site resources.
5. What if we are celebrating a special occasion? First time to Disney? Birthday? Anniversary? Family reunion? Disney LOVES to celebrate. Stop by the Town Hall on main street and pick up a button {for free} to highlight your special occasion. Don’t be shy. Tell every cast member you encounter about your special occasion and you may just get some special treatment.
6. Is character dining worth it?Absolutely, yes! While I’ve only experienced a princess lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table {one of the most coveted reservations in all of the Disney parks}, I am confident that all of the character dining experiences will be wonderful. I don’t care if you have to give up latte’s for a year in order to save to take your little princess to a meal at Cinderella’s castle {our lunch for 4 was $207}, it is worth every penny. The adult meal is nicely done {we enjoyed grouper with butternut squash} but the kid’s meal was rather common. They made up for the typical child’s pizza by bringing a dessert dish complete with a scoop of ice cream and 4 small cups of goodies for my princess to make her own sundae. At some point during our 90 minute meal in the center of the castle {beautiful} Princesses Snow White, Aurora, Ariel and Jasmine visited our table to chat with my girl and take pictures. On our way in to her home, Cinderella met us in the lobby for a short chat and photo session. This was the best place to meet the princesses. Keep your expectations in line and you will not regret splurging on this experience.

5 Tips to Manage Your Expectations

1. You will not get it all in. Period. There is just no way. Perhaps if you go in the summer when the park has extended hours and you visit each park for 2-3 days, you might. But then you’d collapse so why try? Prioritize what you want to see and do before you go. You will have to let some things go so prepare yourself. Pick your must have attractions and make sure you do those. Anything else will be a bonus.
2. Fast Pass is great, but there’s an art to it. Disney introduced the Fast Pass system a few years ago to allow visitors the chance to “schedule” their ride. You simply insert your park ticket into a Fast Pass dispenser to receive a ticket with your return time frame {an hour at some point later in the day}. For the most part, this worked really well for us. What we didn’t know is – you can only hold on to one Fast Pass at a time. When we obtained a pass for a more popular ride and our return time was 5 hours later, we were then stuck without the opportunity to use FP for any other rides until later in the day. Be careful to not obtain a pass for the most coveted rides first. If the Fast Pass return time {posted above the machines} is within a reasonable amount of time, go ahead and get one then visit another attraction in the area until your time to ride. But if the return time is hours away, wait a bit or obtain that FP last. You may end up riding that ride in the evening or right before you leave but this strategy will maximize your day. With the growing number of attractions, shows and character meet and greets, there is a strategy for maximizing your time. Think through it before you get to the park.
3. Disney’s policies on handicap accessibility/special needs has changed. This came as a bit of a surprise to me. I can remember the time we took my grandmother to the Magic Kingdom in a wheelchair and we were ushered on every ride almost immediately. I suppose too many people abused this feature so Disney has cracked down on accessibility. Just because you rent a wheelchair, does not mean you will get on rides faster. Most lines accommodate a wheelchair so you’ll wait with everyone else. Once boarding a ride however, the cast members are very helpful and trained in getting a handicapped person where they need to be. If you do require extra assistance or faster accessibility, visit the Town Hall on Main Street to obtain a Guest Assistance Card. Disney personnel will not require you reveal too much of your personal information {they do go on the honor system here due to HIPPA regulations}. They will ask what specifically you might have trouble with {standing too long, crowds in small places, etc} and will note it on your card. In this way, Disney has expanded their ability to assist people with less obvious special needs such as children with Autism or less obvious illnesses. Do not rely on a wheelchair to get you special access or a shorter wait time. Show the cast member at each ride your Guest Assistance Card to see what provisions they have for that attraction.
4. There will be crowds no matter when you go. As I mentioned earlier, there will always be crowds. So just be ready for it. It’s easy to get overwhelmed in the parks and it can ruin your experience. Keep your expectations in line and just remember, everyone deserves time in the happiest place on earth. Today is your day. It’s their day too.
5. It’s hard to keep to a schedule, be flexible. I acted as cruise director for our Disney experience. The controlling task master in me wanted to get it all done in the most optimal way possible. I prioritized our must-see attractions and made a plan but it almost never went exactly how I wanted it to. Be ready to adjust on the fly when the Fast Pass for your desired ride has a 5 hour return time. Don’t get flustered when the wait time to meet the fairies is 45min+. Be flexible and adjust your schedule. With all of the rides, shows and parades you can possibly see each day combined with crowds of 30,000-60,000 people, you will have to work around some hiccups. Don’t let it steal your magic. Embrace your need to go with the flow. I can’t think of a better place to be spontaneous.

 5 Tips to Manage Your Money

1. Lodging. If you desire to stay on property, there are many ways to save but you will still pay a premium price to sleep inside the parameters of Disney magic. Do lots of research on ways to save on property {unfortunately, I am not an expert on that}. Consider engaging a travel agent to help you get the best deal. They may be privy to discounts and deals that are offered exclusively to them. If you do not have your heart set on staying in a Disney Resort you will save a ton! Especially if your party is large {needing more than one traditional hotel room} you will do better at a local resort that offers 2-3 bedroom condos. When researching our trip of 5 adults and 2 children, we quickly found that staying on property with 2 hotel rooms was cost prohibitive. I then discovered there are many, beautiful resorts in the area {within a few miles of the parks} that offer 2-3 bedroom condos for a fraction of the price. We chose to use a third-party travel service through Costco Travel and saved a bundle on our resort and ticket package. Be aware that many of these resorts are time share properties so they will be anxious to get you to attend a sales pitch during your stay. Despite the gifts they will offer you, avoid these meetings as they quickly turn into long, hard-sell attempts to get you to buy a timeshare. We were only asked twice to attend and quickly and gracefully declined. It didn’t bother our vacation at all. This small downside was well worth the beautiful condo with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms a kitchen, dining and living area that we stayed in for 6 nights at less than $200 per night. Our property {like many in the area} had several pools, play areas, activities, restaurants and landscapes that made our vacation complete. {Side note: Costco Travel is our new favorite resource. If you are planning a big trip, it’s completely worth the $50 yearly fee to save what you will save on your vacation.}
2. Tickets. Booking through a third party that offered a package deal saved us a lot on our ticket costs. With our hotel/package deal we ended up paying $60 per ticket {per day} as opposed to the normal $80/day price {for a 3 day pass}. When we picked up our tickets at will call, we were offered the chance to add a fourth day for $14 per person! Keep this secret in mind when you are booking your tickets. Consider booking one less day as you will likely be offered the same deal {after booking a multi-day pass} when you arrive. We opted not to add the park hopper option which I now know was the right decision. There is so much to do in each park I don’t see how someone could hop back and forth in one day. Especially with small children, I recommend sticking with one park per day. Don’t forget littles under 3 receive free entry to the parks, one reason we decided to take our first trip now as we saved a bit on our little guy and he still had a blast.
3. Travel. Obviously, this greatly depends on how far you live from the park. We live 12 hours away from the Orlando area. We chose to drive since our party contained seven people. Getting that many flights would have cost way too much for us at this time. Although it’s always risky to drive long distances with small children, having the anticipation of Disney World gave them all the motivation they needed to make the most of the drive. We rented a van to transport all of us in one vehicle. Our Costco Travel minivan rental for 8 days only cost us $349!! {Did I mention how much I am in love with Costco Travel right now?!} Even with gas and food costs, we saved a ton over plane tickets. If it’s feasible for you distance wise, I strongly recommend this as a great way to save on your vacation. If you simply cannot drive and live in a Southwest Airlines city, wait until June to book your flights. Every year in June Southwest runs their amazing anniversary specials where you can get flights at a fraction of the cost.
4. Meals. We chose not to participate in a Disney dining plan. Everything I read about them was pretty indecisive on whether or not they are worth it. Perhaps if staying on property it is worth the cost. Since we stayed in a condo where we could prepare our own meals, we ate breakfast daily and some dinners on our own. While in the parks, we chose to focus on one meal per day and a snack. I also packed our own snacks {especially for the kids} to have when needed. This strategy saved us a good amount of money throughout the week.
5. Souvenirs. There are countless options for trinkets and treats to remember your vacation. My daughter especially wanted a little bit of everything. Our kids had their own spending money {given to them for Christmas} so there was a budget for their memories. In general, plush toys and apparel are the most expensive items in the Disney souvenir shops so try your best to avoid paying top dollar and consider stopping at a local gift shop to get those items out of their system before you enter the parks. A classic set of Mickey ears {currently available in a wide variety of colors and styles} is a wonderful way to remember your vacation. These are affordable at $14-$20. Another fun and affordable option is Disney’s penny press collection. I read about these on this blog and loved the idea of planning for it. I share more about this adventurous souvenir below.

5 Tips to Manage Your Time

1. How to use Fast Pass. As I mentioned before there is quite a strategy to using Disney’s Fast Pass system. Make sure to familiarize yourself with the attractions that offer this service. Approximately 1-3 attractions per section offer a Fast Pass. Remember, you cannot hold on to more than one Fast Pass at a time so choose wisely. Once you return with your Fast Pass at the designated time, you will get on the ride quickly. You are then free to obtain another Fast Pass.
2. Finding your strategy. When we arrived at Animal Kingdom, we went straight for the safari, knowing that was our top priority. We obtained a Fast Pass with a return time an hour later. We used that hour to walk through the Africa animal exhibit and finished just in time to enter the safari with our FP. This basically completed our tour of Africa so we were free to move on to the next section without needing to return. Walking back and forth from section to section will cost you lots of time in Disney Parks. Spend time looking over the maps, choosing your priority attractions and strategizing the best way to get the most in.
3. Character wait times. One of the new features I love about Disney is their character meet and greets. Throughout each park you will find characters at their designated locations with a meet and greet line. Use the My Disney Experience app to find the location of your favorite characters. You may still see a few of them walking throughout the park but you cannot stop them like we used to do when I was a kid. Because these meet and greet lines require a wait like any other ride or attraction, it’s one more thing to add to your to-do list. Typically, lines for the princesses and fairies are longest so plan to wait on them. If you choose to do a character meal, you will get a lot out of the way in a nice, sit-down setting while you eat {another great reason to invest in a character meal}. Keep in mind that the characters often go on break so ask the cast member at the front when the next break will be before planting yourself in line.
4. Focus on two-three areas per day. As I’ve said over and over again, it’s nearly impossible to get everything in. And walking back and forth from section to section will cost you lots of time. If you are visiting a park for multiple days or know you can return on a park-hopper pass, I suggest focusing on 2-3 areas of the park each day. Our first day in the Magic Kingdom we spent our time in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. When we returned for a second day, we visited Adventureland, Frontierland and Liberty Square. This focus allowed us to get more in.
5. Wait times. For those attractions that do not offer a Fast Pass or those that you choose to ride without one, wait times will be posted at the entrance. We found that in true Disney fashion {to under promise and over deliver} wait times were estimated high. If a ride promised a 60 minute wait, we waited 45. If it promised 30, we waited 20. Without fail, we always got on sooner than we thought we would. A few attractions {including the new Enchanted Tales with Belle} does not offer a FP so expect to wait {typically 45-90 min}.

5 Tips to Manage Your Memories

1. Photopass. I’m still not completely sure how I feel about Disney’s Photopass service. Love the idea of having a professional take our photos {with no obligation} as they also allow me to take my own {and often help}. You will be given a Photopass card with the first photographers snap. Keep it with you as they will need to rescan it with each photo they take. Once you return home, visit disneyphotopass.com to see all of your professionally taken photos. I will warn you, they are expensive to get. $170 for all photos on a CD down to $15 for 2 4×6 prints. Right now I am dealing with Disney having lost some of the photos from our Photopass so don’t rely too heavily on them. Although I may not spring for many of them {if they can even find them}, I’m glad to have the option in the event my snapshots of those moments didn’t turn out. I recommend participating in the Photopass service. There is no obligation to purchase them but they are there {in theory} for back up. Remember, Photopass photographers are happy to use your camera as well to capture each moment. P.S. I’ll let you know what happens with my lost photos.
2. Souvenirs. As I mentioned earlier, Mickey ears a pretty much an affordable must to remember your time in the happiest place on earth. We also focused on Disney’s penny press machines. I remember these fun souvenirs when I was a kid. Now Disney provides a coin press collection book {$9} to house all of these treasures. When you enter each park, stop by guest services where they will give you a map/list of the location of each of these machines. We treated it like a treasure hunt throughout the week, always on the look out for the machines. My daughter loved finding each one and being able to put the coins in, press the buttons and “create” her own memories. Since she’s at the age where collecting little things is an obsession, this souvenir became a favorite. I prepared for our treasure hunt by collecting quarters and shiny pennies before our trip and keeping them in a little coin purse. Cast members at each shop will be happy to make change for you if needed though.
3. What to do with your pics. A traditional digital photo book is probably the best way to house all of your amazing moments. Consider purchasing a Disney photo frame with the year on it to display your best snapshot. Putting together a slide show to share with family and friends is a must. If you choose to use Disney’s Photopass service there are many options on their site for using their photos. Just be prepared to pay for it. If memory keeping is important to you, budget both time and money post trip to do something spectacular with your photos. I personally purchased a Shutterfly Groupon that expires next week for a $10 photo book. An inexpensive way to display our photos. . .but I’d better get on it!
4. Video worthy moments. There are many moment worthy of capturing video but some of the best that we encountered are Enchanted Tales with Belle and the Kilimanjaro Safari. Although you will wait a while for your time with Belle, it’s well worth it. Each child in the small groups they take into Belle’s house each time has the opportunity to participate in a recreation of when Belle and the Beast first met. Your child will be able to interact with Belle and will be mesmerized by the experience. Definitely a great opportunity to snatch a video. This is the only opportunity to meet Belle in the Magic Kingdom and it is well worth the time spent. In the Animal Kingdom, grab your video camera as you head out on the Kilimanjaro Safari in Africa. This will be your chance to capture close up moments of many amazing animals such as zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions and hippos. Lastly, don’t forget to get your camera ready to capture your child’s face when you first enter the park. This is a moment you will want to relive over and over again!
5. Stop and soak it all in. Most importantly, remember that in the midst of the craziness and the crowds you must be purposeful about stopping to soak it all in. I found myself at certain points taking a deep breath and looking around so I could truly take in the magical moments.

5 Tips to Manage Your Fun

1. Must see rides/attractions. {Magic Kingdom} Enchanted Tales with Belle. Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid. It’s A Small World, Dumbo and Peter Pan’s Flight {Classic!}. Pirates of the Carribean {also classic!}. Thunder Mountain {a great coaster for smaller ones, my 4 year old loved it!}. Space Mountain. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Disney’s Electrical Parade {This only happens on certain nights so check the daily schedule before you choose which day you will visit the park. You can’t miss this!!} Fireworks {Animal Kingdom} Kilimanjaro Safari. Expedition Everest. Kali River Rapids. Primeval Whirl. Dinosaur {Be careful with small ones, this one can be scary}. Festival of the Lion King show {Fabulous!!}. I have not visited Epcot or Hollywood Studios recently so I cannot recommend which rides are must see at this time.
2. Skip without regret if you don’t have time. {Magic Kingdom} The Magic Carpets of Aladdin {basically the dumbo ride all over again, with carpet}. The Haunted Mansion. Astro Orbiter {Ditto Dumbo}. Carousel of Progress {although I would never skip this because it’s classic to me and my mother was at the World’s Fair in NY where it originally appeared, to most it’s not worth the time}. Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor {this was just ok for me}. {Animal Kingdom} It’s Tough to Be A Bug {although this show is fabulous, it’s a bit much for little ones}. Flights of Wonder. Tricera Top Spin {also just like Dumbo but may be the easiest thing to do with littles in AK}.
3. Must see shows. {Magic Kingdom} Disney’s daily show on the stage in front of Cinderella’s Castle is fabulous. It occurs once just about every hour. Schedule is posted out front. Don’t miss this one. Many characters are involved so kids will love it. Mickey’s PhilharMagic. This amazing 4D experience includes sight, sound, smell and touch as characters jump out at you from the stage. Both of my small children cried throughout the show though so beware. Electrical Parade. Do.not.miss.this! It’s classic and so magical. The electrical parade. does not happen every night so check the schedule before you decide which day to attend the MK. Then stay to watch the fireworks after the parade for the perfect end to your Disney experience. {Animal Kingdom} Festival of the Lion King. Simple fabulous!! The afternoon Jungle Party Parade is great but you may find it challenging to stop for the parade and still get everything in you want to see. Finding Nemo – The Musical.
4. Best rides for the littles. {Magic Kingdom} Dumbo. Although you can obtain a FP for Dumbo, if you choose not to, the wait will be around an hour at all times. Don’t worry though, there are two rides now {one for FP and one for stand by waiting}. Those waiting have the opportunity to wait under the big top in a giant play place for the kiddos. You will be given a pager that goes off when it’s your turn to ride! Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. Peter Pan’s Flight. It’s a Small World. Enchanted Tales with Belle. Under The Sea. The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh. {Basically just about anything in Fantasyland which is where you’ll spend most of your time}. Buzz Lightyear. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. {Animal Kingdom} Kilimanjaro Safari. Tricera Top Spin. Although there are only a few “rides” the little ones can enjoy in Animal Kingdom, it’s basically a giant zoo so there will be plenty for them to see and do. Stop by Affection Section or The Boneyard Dig Site for half-pint sized fun!
5. The “switcheroo”. Many {but not all} rides in Disney Parks will allow you to do what some call the “switcheroo”. If you are traveling with small children who cannot go on certain rides but you and your adult traveling partners want to ride, simply wait in line all together. When you get to the front, let the cast member know that both adults want to take turns and ride. One will be able to ride while the other watches the small children and visa versa. No need to let the littles ruin your fun!!

Ok, wow. That’s a lot of information. I could have gone on and on about everything I learned during this last trip to Disney World. But the items I’ve covered are what I believe will be the most helpful in making the most of your Disney World Vacation.

As promised I am happy to disclose our budget and spending for our trip. I’m always disappointed when people brag about how much money they saved but never tell you the bottom line.

Our Disney Trip for 7 {5 adults, 1 4 year old and 1 18month old}

Hotel and Ticket Package through Costco Travel – $2383 {6 nights in 2 bedroom condo plus 6 3 day passes to Disney Parks}

Rental Car through Costco Travel – $349

Gas/Tolls – $220

Food for Condo – $125

Food in Park – $270

Food Outside Park – $200

Parking – $52

Souvenirs – $280 {$100 of which my kiddos had from Christmas}

Princess Lunch – $207

$4086

{a few members of our party contributed towards their hotel and tickets bringing our family’s net out of pocket down to $2511}

$627.75 per person for our family of 4 to visit Disney World for 6 nights! As you can see, we didn’t skimp on food or souvenirs so it could be done even less expensive than this. The key for us was having family along to share in major expenses and finding a great deal on our lodging and tickets. Everything else can be budgeted as tightly or loosely as you require.

Have you created a magical Disney experience for your family? We’d love to hear your tips and tricks to saving money and making the most of your time.