So You’re Headed to Disney World? Here Are a Few Tips…

We just got back from a whirlwind trip to Disneyworld. My co-parent Bob wanted to take the family on a vacation over New Years and he landed on Disney World. What a treat!

But it can also be overwhelming! Disney World is HUGE. Like 4 parks PLUS water parks huge. While we didn’t have time to experience it all; we did do Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Here are a few tips that helped me along the way (no matter what park you choose)…..




  1. This Piece of Advice : ” Don’t get hung up on what rides / attractions you can’t get on or are missing. The kids don’t notice”

This rang so true. We missed TRON and we missed Avatar. The kids were so excited for everything else; I needed to take a step back and realize; it was ME who was putting this pressure on the whole situation. They LOVED that we got to ride the Ariel ride twice and that I actually came on the spinning tea cups (barf) with them. Let go of your OWN expectations. I realized I was the only one holding myself back from enjoying the day for what it truly is - magical.


2. Get to know the Disney World App (HERE)

You will use the app all day long and probably a few days before too . Familiarize yourself with it. I promise it’s not hard it’s just a bit overwhelming at first. Choose the park you are going to and get to know where it says “Standby wait times” and “ Multi Pass (Lightening Lane) times “ under your “Tip Board” . Standby is if you are just waiting in line and Multi Pass is if you have purchased Multi Pass (Lightening Lane) passes for your group. You will be referencing this throughout your days at the parks.

Also a BIG Difference between Disneyland and Disney World is that you can book your Disney World Multi Pass (Lightning Lane) rides times up to 7 days in advance which is HUGE. So if you decide to purchase Multi Passes (Lightning Lane) you can pick your times ahead of the day you are going- and you will prob get waaaaay better selection too!

My advice is that if its a typically busy time at the park ( Xmas, Spring Break etc) then purchasing the Multi Pass (Lightning Lane) is so worth it.

3. On that note - Pack a battery pack for your phone.

You will need it. I have two great ones. The first one HERE has the cords all attached. The second one HERE is a MAJOR battery pack and will charge your phone super fast ( but its a bit more bulky)

4. Watch throughout the day for Multi Pass (Lightning passes ) to become available.

There are certain rides ( like TRON, Avatar and Star Wars Rise of The Resistance) that you can buy individually to skip the lines. They will cost you approximately ($13- $40 USD) a person. When we went these were unavailable but I kept checking throughout the day and lone behold some became available. I feel like maybe they release some throughout the day?



5. Don’t get discouraged if there are no lightning pass times available . They change throughout the entire day.

This is what I was talking about when it comes to being on the app for a lot of the day! This is what happened on our day in The Magic Kingdom. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a great ride; but also extremely popular due to it being new (and awesome). I keep refreshing the App and then all of a sudden there was time available within the hour! People are always swapping and switching their times so if you’re on it; you can catch the right moments when these times become up for grabs. Don’t worry if the only available time is 9:40pm ( see above)….. you might just refresh and a better time is there!



6. Don’t want to pay for lightning passes? Just ROPE DROP!

This is for the hardcore Disney fans haha and it’s not for the faint of heart…..but I live for it. Get there right for opening. It’s called “Rope Dropping” because essentially you are there when the ropes drop. ( To be fair if you are staying at a Disney Resort you get even earlier access!) but for us normies; it’s usually right at 8am. This is the BEST time for short standby lines. For example when we went between Christmas and New Years ( historically one of the busiest times of the year) lines at 8am for Pirates of the Caribbean, Dumbo and Little Mermaid were all about 5 - 10 mins. It’s usually for the first hour that you can really take advantage of the shorter lines. Some rides will always be longer standby times ( like Star Wars, Big Thunder & Seven Dwarfs ) but they will still be shorter in those early morning hours ( 45mins vs 120 mins).




7. YES you can bring your own snacks into Disney World.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this. Having 3 kids under 9; snacks are life. We were able to bring in granola bars, bottles of water, little packs of veggie straws and treats. I even saw someone who had packed sandwiches for their family. While the food at Disney is definitely something to experience (it’s great!!); sometimes its nice to save a little money (and time) too!



8. Wear your comfiest shoes & buy your Disney gear at home

I had a lot of messages on what to wear to Disney……my number one would be running shoes. Wear something comfy because you will be taking about 15,000 steps around those parks! It’s extremely casual at Disney Parks. If you’ve got a Disney shirt; pair it with your fav shorts or pants and you’re golden. Don’t forget those ears!

Of course, buy something special at the park. But for all of your everyday Disney gear- it’s gonna be waaaayyy cheaper at home or even at Target! And YES- you can get mouse ears at Target and they are pretty darn cute!

9. RIDER SWITCH is the MVP if you’ve got kids!

Did you know you can switch out parents and kids if you’ve got some that do not meet the high requirements for a certain ride? This was so useful with baby Tripp and the girls. JUST MAKE SURE you talk to a cast member first and let them know you would like to do Rider Switch. at the entrance to each ride. There are certain rides (below) that you can do this on.

From the Disney World website :

“With Rider Switch, Guests take turns experiencing an attraction. One party waits outside the queue while the remainder of their party waits in the queue. Once the first party returns from riding, the waiting Guest(s) may board the attraction without having to wait in the standard queue.”

How to Use Rider Switch

1. At the entrance of the attraction, with your entire group present, let a Cast Member know you are interested in the Rider Switch option.

2. Your group will divide into two (2) parties:

  • “Party A” will enter the queue and ride the attraction first,

  • “Party B” will wait outside the queue (with a maximum of two ([2]) people riding next)

3. A Cast Member will scan the admission media or tickets of Guests in Party B and let you know where to return when it is your turn to ride.

The following is a complete list of attractions at Walt Disney World Resort where you can use Rider Switch:

Magic Kingdom Park
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
TRON Lightcycle / Run*

EPCOT
Frozen Ever After
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind*
Mission: SPACE
Soarin'
Test Track

Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Alien Swirling Saucers
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours® - The Adventures Continue
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
Avatar Flight of Passage
DINOSAUR 
Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain® 
Kali River Rapids
Na'vi River Journey

10. Leave yourself TIME for getting to the Magic Kingdom Disney World.

The one HUGE difference is the parking situation at Magic Kingdom. You park ( or get dropped off by a shuttle) and then you HAVE to take the monorail or the ferry over to the entrance. If you are staying at a Disney Resort; this of course will be different ( SO JEALOUS of you all with the monorail right in your hotel!) . But again for us normies haha you park and then allow yourself about 30 mins to go through security and board the monorail or Ferry. When it comes to chosing; my friend Jessie says this: Monorail has more trains but can carry less people ; the Ferry carries way more people but has less boats. So really the choice is yours. I liked the monorail.



BONUS TIP : Lastly- BREATHE

I had to remind myself of this a million times. Everything Disney is magical…but it’s also a lot. You’re doing it right. There is no “Wrong” way to do Disney. You’re there to have fun; don’t make it stressful. That is easier said than done I realize firsthand. There WILL be crowds and your kids will prob have a meltdown lol. Just keep your expectations low for YOURSELF and also your kids. You’re there; you made it & you’re right smack in the middle of the most chaotic happiest place on earth. You got this.







xoxox Jacks

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