101+Disney World Tips for a Magical Disney Vacation

Ready to plan the Ultimate Disney World Vacation? Here are 101+ Disney World Tips to help you plan your practically perfect vacation.

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Are you planning a Walt Disney World trip? Planning a Walt Disney World vacation can be time-consuming and overwhelming. But I am here to save the day. My Disney Vacation Planner will help you plan your Disney vacation from start to finish. You can check it out here. In the meantime, I am sharing my BEST Disney planning tips with you. Some you may already know but some you may not. Check these 101+ Disney World tips to make your vacation more magical.

Disney World Tips for a Magical Disney Vacation

Book enough days to experience more of Walt Disney World than just the parks.
Make time for Walt Disney World recreation.
Moderate Resorts offer the best balance of value and theme
Most deluxe resorts offer character dining.
Check the Special Offers Page before booking your Walt Disney World vacation.
Book a Disney resort for added perks like extended park hours and advance Fastpass booking.
Rent DVC points for a better rate on more spacious accommodations.
Book your resort closest to the park where you will spend the most time.
Deluxe Resorts offer the best complimentary transportation options.
Resorts on the monorail loop offer convenient access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
Pop Century and the Art of Animation are the two best Value Resorts for your money.
Art of Animation has the best food court.
If you book full price ahead of a promotion you qualify for, you can have your vacation re-booked with the new pricing.
The Polynesian Village and Contemporary have hotel rooms with the most square-footage at Walt Disney World.
The Beach Club has the most coveted pool at Walt Disney World, Stormalong Bay.
The Magic Kingdom is just a short walk from the Contemporary.
Epcot is just a short walk from Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Beach Club resorts.
Saratoga Springs offers Disney luxury and a reclusive atmosphere.
Saratoga Springs and the Grand Floridian offer full-service spas.
Families larger than 5, book a villa to sleep up to 8 or 9.
Saratoga Springs Treehouse villas sleep nine guests.
Animal Kingdom Lodge offers the most resort experiences despite being in an inconvenient location.
The Marketplace at Disney Springs is ideal for families with small children.
The Aerophile Helium Balloon gives you a 360 view of Walt Disney World with a distance of up to 10 miles.
There are less expensive non-Disney owned hotels in Disney World on Lake Buena Vista near Disney Springs.
Disney Springs is a wonderful place to enjoy a weekend brunch.
If you Uber to the Magic Kingdom, ask to go to the Contemporary rather than the TTC (Ticket & Transportation Center).
If you Uber to Epcot, ask to go to the Beach Club for speedier access to the World Showcase via the International Gateway.
Uber usually has promotional pricing that gives you the most value among ridesharing options.
The Minnie Vans powered by Lyft are operated by Disney cast members for your comfort and enjoyment.
The value resorts have the largest arcades.
Book a Princess Guest Room at Port Orleans: Riverside for extra magic.
Book a Pirate room at Caribbean Beach.
Fort Wilderness offers Archery Lessons.
You can take a carriage ride at Fort Wilderness and Port Orleans.
Tri-Circle D Ranch offers Horseback riding and more.
Resort hopping is an excellent way to experience the magic of Walt Disney World.
You can learn to draw from a Disney artist at Art of Animation
You can enjoy movies under the stars at Disney resorts for free.
Typhoon Lagoon offers surfing lessons in the morning with a continental breakfast included.
There are two miniature golf courses. Fantasia Gardens is near the Swan and Dolphin, and Winter Summerland is near Blizzard Beach.
The first family of the day at Ye Olde Christmas Shop, get to decorate a tree for the day.
Stop at the firehouse in the Magic Kingdom to begin an interactive questing game in the park.
Harmony Barber Shop in Town Square specializes in first-haircut packages.
Columbia Harbor House has a quiet upper level with plenty of tables.
There is a walking-path shortcut from the Fantasyland Train Station to Space Mountain
Bypass Frontierland crowds on a walking path along the Rivers of America that most people don’t use.
There is a pirate scavenger hunt in Adventureland with six parts to complete for a Fastpass to Pirates of the Caribbean.
Split time at Princess Fairytale Hall by waiting in one standby line, while you have Fastpass for the other.
Schedule Fastpasses based on location to conserve energy and save time.
The Best place to see Magic Kingdom fireworks is in the central plaza.
The best view of Magic Kingdom fireworks from a restaurant is California Grill at the top of the Contemporary.
Music from the Magic Kingdom fireworks is piped through to the beach at the Polynesian Village Resort.
Standby for Test Track is the only way you get to design your own car for the attraction.
Spaceship Earth is a long wait in the morning, but it settles down mid-day.
There is a chart on the ground in Future World West that shows the history of important inventions and discoveries around the world.
The ride in the Mexico Pavilion is one of the shortest waits in Epcot.
The Stave Church in the Norway pavilion houses a gallery of Norse Mythology.
The waiting room for Reflections of China includes a gallery of Shanghai Disneyland artwork and information.
The American Pavilion houses a Native American cultural art exhibit.
The Japan Pavilion has a cultural exhibit dedicated to Kawaii.
The Morocco Pavilion has a gallery about the artistic significance of adornment.
You can see live entertainment in the UK, America, Mexico, Germany, Japan, and Canada pavilions.
The Behind the Seeds tour provides more in-depth exposure to the agricultural work shown on the Living with the Land attraction.
The Odyssey Center is the place to go to see a preview of changes coming to Epcot.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster are still the most popular attractions in Hollywood Studios.
Hollywood Studios is easy to hop to from Epcot by foot/boat/Skyliner.
Book a Dining Package at Hollywood and Vine, the Hollywood Brown Derby, or Mama Melrose to get reserved seating for Fantasmic!
Hollywood Studios has the best themed-dining at Walt Disney World.
Shows at Walt Disney World are usually under 20 minutes long.
Most Walt Disney World shows have short wait times, and rarely need Fastpasses.
Schedule Fastpass+ reservations for late morning.
You can snag hard to get Fastpasses by refreshing your My Disney Experience app until you see one become available.
Make Fastpass+ selections 60 days before your trip to have the best chance to secure your favorites.
Make time on your Animal Kingdom day to explore trails and animal habitats.
Kids at Animal Kingdom can become Wilderness explorers by visiting stations around the park.
The Animation Experience is a brand new attraction at Rafiki’s Planet Watch that showcases how Disney artists draw inspiration from live animals.
Dinoland USA is worth the extra time to discover the area’s theme and backstory.
Flame Tree Barbecue is the best value for a meal in Animal Kingdom.
You can meet Pocahontas on Discovery Island.
You can get into the parks early by booking breakfast at select table service restaurants.
Book Early morning in-park breakfasts as far in advance as you can (180 days) to have a better chance.
You can book dining reservations at 7:00 am EST 180 days before check-in.
When you book reservations, book the later dates on your trip first for your most important meals.
Lounges at popular Disney World restaurants are a first come first serve option if you don’t have reservations.
Call 407-WDW-DINE instead of booking online to get cast member assistance in booking a table.
When you make reservations, note that you are celebrating a special occasion.
Boardwalk Inn has one of the best-themed character breakfasts at Trattoria Al Forno.
Wilderness Lodge has one of the best-themed character dinners at Artist Point.
The Grand Floridian has Walt Disney World’s only AAA 5 Diamond restaurant, Victoria and Albert’s
Schedule two or three dinner reservations at Disney Springs during your stay.
The Marketplace has some of the best value for quick-service restaurants
Kona Cafe and Whispering Canyon are the two best values for table service restaurants.
It’s worth a trip to Fort Wilderness for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue dinner show. This is my FAVORITE show!
There is a traditional luau on the beach of the Polynesian Village resort called the Spirit of Aloha.
The Monorail resorts make for a terrific bar crawl or progressive dinner.
To dine with a view of animals on the Savannah, book Sanaa at the Kidani Village in Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Disney Floral and Gifts offers in-room celebrations.
Wear a button to show what you are celebrating for extra magic throughout your visit.
Take a lot of photos OR invest in Memory Maker and have a Disney Photographer do it for you
Ask for Extra Magic Shots.
Don’t over plan.