Eight Things You’re Not Thinking About When Planning Your Walt Disney World Vacation

There are a lot of things to consider when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World. Whether you’re worried about the weather, traveling the Parks with kids in tow, or just looking for the right Resort, there are tons of things to consider.

And for first-timers, it’s even more daunting! What’s FastPass+? Do I really have to book my Advance Dining Reservations 60 days in advance? What are the differences between Value, Moderate, and Deluxe Resorts?

Once you make it through the “basics” of planning a Disney vacation there are still a ton of things to consider. Things that may have slipped through the cracks that you didn’t realize you’re important until you arrive.

We’re giving some of our best tips that you may not have considered when planning your Disney World trip!

Prepare Your My Disney Experience App

The My Disney Experience app is your key to the kingdom at Disney World. It can hold your park ticket, Advance Dining Reservations, hotel reservation, and more! To help your vacation run smoothly, familiarize yourself with the app here, and pre-load all of your travel group’s reservations before leaving. You should also add them to your Friends and Family contact list so you can link up dining reservations and Disney Park Pass reservations.

The My Disney Experience app will also allow you to do many of the contactless tasks that Disney is encouraging right now. This includes Mobile Ordering from Quick Service locations and checking into your Table Service reservations. (It’s also the app you’ll use when booking a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!)

Plan Break Days and Times

Scheduling in breaks may have crossed your mind while initially planning your vacation. We want to emphasize just how important it is to squeeze in moments of relaxation and sleeping. Disney World isn’t built for slow and steady. It has a very fast-paced feel. You’re up at sunrise hoping to catch the early bus so you can make to Magic Kingdom at rope drop. Then you’re running from ride to ride trying to get everything done in one day. On top of that, you may have to wake up early or stay out late for Extra Magic Hours (when they return). It’s definitely a marathon!

The best thing you can do for yourself and your group is to make time for well-earned moments of peace. Schedule at least one non-park day in the middle of your week if you can, and take breaks as often as you need them. If you stop to recover, you may not enjoy your vacation as much and may long for your bed in the middle of the day!

Transportation Time

Transportation can mean a lot of things at Disney World. It can mean the time it takes to get from your hotel to the park entrance. It can also mean how long it takes to get from one attraction to the next. And you have to factor in transportation time for dining reservations or Park Hopping. You have to consider all of these forms of transportation when planning your vacation. It can bring on a lot of stress if you’re don’t allow yourself ample time to transfer your group from one location to another. 

We suggest factoring in about one hour of travel time between your resort and the park entrance. (This is especially true for guests driving to the Magic Kingdom! You have to consider how long it takes to park then take the ferry boat or monorail.) Also, allow yourself at least 15-30 minutes of travel time between each ride or dining reservation if you’re crisscrossing the park or moving from land to land. If you’re hopping to a different park, add about one hour for transportation.

Note: If your Advance Dining Reservation is at a different park or resort, you’ll typically need at least one hour for that transfer.

The Weather

You’ve most likely heard about the torrential downpours that Florida experiences during hurricane season and throughout the summer. Even so, we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to prepare for the dynamic weather in Orlando. (We’ve advised time and time again to pack those ponchos!) One minute, the sun is burning you to crisp, and the next, it’s like someone is dumping buckets of water on you. The rain at Disney World is no joke!

You should also consider the fact that it does get chilly in Florida. Usually, the weather will cool down toward the end of December and through January and February. You may be expecting warm sunshine and be disappointed when you realize it’s sweater weather. Always study up on the trending weather forecasts for your upcoming trips!

How Much You’ll Walk

A week at Disney World includes a huge amount of walking. It’s the most fun you’ll have trying to your get those steps in! Most guests rack up about eight to ten miles a day after a full day at the parks. The theme parks are behemoth, and you’ll start to feel it once you make it from one side of World Showcase to the other at EPCOT. Practice walking a little bit a day to prepare yourself for your days at Disney. (This is also why we advise scheduling in break days!)

You should also pack comfortable shoes that you know are comfortable. Make sure you can walk long distances in your shoes without creating blisters or sore ankles. New shoes should be broken in before packing them into your suitcase!

Souvenirs

There are two big things to remember when buying a souvenir at Disney World. The first is to buy your souvenirs on your way out of the park! It can be miserable carrying around a few extra pounds in your backpack when you don’t need to! You can also ask a Cast Member to send your purchases to your resort free of charge, or you can put your belongings in one of the park lockers.

The second tip is to consider the size of your souvenirs! You may love the giant Cinderella Castle replica, but it needs to make it onto the plane. You can always ask Disney to ship your packages for a fee or check whether it’s available to order online if the souvenir you’ve got to have is too big for your suitcase.

Pro Tip: The Emporium in Magic Kingdom stays open after the park officially closes so you can pop in without it cutting into your schedule! Better yet, set aside some time for a trip to Disney Springs! You’ll find most (if not all) of your shopping needs there!

Snack Budget

You may have your budget completely under control and every penny planned out. This plan may end up falling through once you see all the gorgeous treats available at Disney World. There are always new snacks, desserts, and beverages to try at Disney, and they’re very hard to resist!

Try to scope out Disney snack lists and must-dos before heading out for your vacation. This will help you understand what snacks you want to hold out for and how to work them into your budget. Also try to leave a little wiggle room in your budget for anything new that might pop up!

Your Travel Group’s Vacation Goals

Everyone seems to have their own agenda when vacationing at Disney World. Some people like to make time for all the shows while others love to catch all the rides. Then there are those who love to chill and eats a lot of snacks. Consider each person’s preferences, and try to work them into your schedule. You won’t be able to please everyone all the time, but you can fit in a few requests throughout the day!

We could give you 1000 tips for your Disney World vacation and still wouldn’t cover everything there is to know. The best advice we can give is to stay extremely flexible while on vacation. You may have your entire trip planned down by the minute, but it could easily be interrupted by a multitude of things. Breathe, relax, take a moment to smell the Disney popcorn, and enjoy your vacation with your loved ones!

Check out our planning guide for all four Disney World theme parks!

What’s your best Disney World tip? Let us know in the comments!

Comments (1)