15 Tips to Save You Time at Walt Disney World

It’s no secret that there is a LOT to do at Disney World. In fact, there’s plenty of everything at Disney except for time to do everything at the parks!

But don’t fear! We’re here to pass on some of the tips that have saved us time and helped us do everything we wanted to do during our Disney trips.

Here’s how to save yourself TIME at Walt Disney World.

Planning is Everything

Tip #1: Dining Reservations! For any seasoned Disney Parks vet, Advanced Dining Reservations are a must! 60 days ahead of your trip to Disney World, you can book a reservation at Disney’s numerous Table Service restaurants that can be found at the parks, resort hotels, and Disney Springs.

This can be a real time-saver, ensuring you don’t face a long wait for a walk-in table (if they’re even available) or a long wait for a Mobile Order. 

Click here to Read More About How to Get Day Of Dining Reservations

Tip #2: FastPass+ (when it eventually comes back). FastPasses are ride reservations you can make ahead of time in order to get onto a ride faster. For each day of your trip, you can reserve three FastPasses at one park.

After you’ve used all three of your FastPasses, you can grab on-the-fly FastPasses as available via My Disney Experience. Although this service isn’t currently available, keep an eye out for its return.

Click here to Read More About How You Could Survive Disney WITHOUT FastPass!

Tip #3: Gear Up! The right gear can be the difference between being panicked or being prepared!

Backpacks, ponchos, umbrellas, extra clothes, snacks in case of hangry emergencies, portable phone chargers: there’s so much you can get to prepare for your Disney World trip that will save you time as conditions change throughout a park day. 

Click here to Read About Five of Our Essential Disney World Items!

Tip #4: Research, Research, Research! Research EVERYTHING. There’s no such thing as being too prepared or informed. Here on AllEars, we’ve got a TON of reviews and guides that can help you get ready. Research can help you beat the crowds and do everything you want to do. 

Figuring out what you want to eat, what parks you want to go to on which days (which you’ll have to do anyway in order to get your Park Pass Reservations), what the weather will be like, what crowds will be like, what rides you want to ride, all of this can make or break your trip. 

Click here to Read Our AllEars Readers Reviews!

Tip #5: Set Priorities. You’re not going to be able to do everything at Disney in one go; there’s just too much do, see, eat, and more to get it done in a single trip. Set your must-do Disney activities: the rides, restaurants, and experiences you absolutely HAVE to do!

Try to knock out those top priority things first, then move onto the things that are less of a priority. If you’re traveling with a group, get a couple of everyone’s must-dos and plan to hit those first.

Click here to Read More About Our Must-Do Rite of Passage Rides!

The My Disney Experience App is Your Best Friend!

Tip #6: Be Prepared. The My Disney Experience app is your key to almost everything at Disney World; new FastPasses, Mobile Order for your food, Rise of the Resistance boarding passes, and so much more is found only on the app.

Download it ahead of time, set up and link accounts for you and the rest of your party, and get familiar with how to operate the app. You don’t want to be learning the app while you’re trying to get a Rise of the Resistance boarding pass, trust us! 

Click here to Read More About How Rise of the Resistance Boarding Passes Work!

Tip #7: Mobile Order It!  Mobile Order on the MyDisneyExperience app is everything at Disney World right now! If you want Quick Service food, chances are that you have to Mobile Order it!

However, even if Mobile Order isn’t mandatory, it can be a great time-saver! Being able to order your food ahead of time, enjoy other parts of the park instead of standing in line, and then just go pick it up and can save you lots of time! 

Click here to Read More About How to Avoid Mobile Order Wait Times!

Tip #8: Check Wait Times and Availability. MyDisneyExperience can also be a time-saver when it comes to rides.

Instead of walking all the way across a park only to find out that a ride is closed or has an interminable wait, you can check a ride’s availability and wait time on your phone! This can really help when you’re deciding where to go next! 

Click here to Read More About What Wait Times Are Like On A Holiday Weekend!

Spend Your Time Wisely!

Tip #9: Rope Dropping. Rope Dropping, or getting into a park right at opening time, has been a time-honored tradition for many Disney lovers. Getting to a park early and waiting in line for it to open can be a great way to tackle a lot of rides (or food!) fast and early!

There’s been some debate about how effective this is, but it can definitely help you squeeze more Disney goodness into each day of your trip! We recommend arriving for rope drop, then heading to one of the Park’s busiest rides. Knock it out early, then check the app to see what else has a short wait time before the bigger crowds arrive.

Click here to Read More About Rope Dropping Like A Pro!

Tip #10: A Midday Break. This one might seem unusual to some, but leaving the parks in the middle of the day and heading back to the hotel for a little 1-2 hour break can actually save you a ton of time! If you rope drop and then try to stay at the parks all the way until fireworks at night, that can be over 12 hours spent at the parks. If anything, at least take a break at the parks! 

Without good, long breaks you run the risk of meltdowns (for children and adults alike), exhaustion, and even serious health problems. Take a break, and come back to the parks afterward refreshed and energized, ready to tackle everything left on your list. 

Click here to Read More About Three Ways to Take A Break At Magic Kingdom!

Tip #11: Send Merch Back to the Hotel (when it comes back). If you don’t feel like carrying all your merchandise around the parks all day, you can arrange to have it sent to your Resort.

This can really help, especially if you’re a big Disney shopper! Although this service isn’t currently available, when it does return, be sure to use it so you can free up your hands — and move more efficiently around the Parks. 

Click here to Read More About the Easiest Things You’re Forgetting to Do at Disney!

Tip #12: Do A Disney Springs Shopping Day During the Week. If you’re planning to do a big Disney Springs shopping day, try scheduling it for a weekday.

Like any other shopping center, Disney Springs is much busier on the weekends! If you want to avoid the crowds and save some time, try shopping during the week instead.

Click here to Read More About the Latest Store Coming to Disney Springs!

Where to Go and How to Get There

Tip #13: Walk When You Can.  Although Disney transportation is pretty reliable, it’s not always the fastest way to the parks. Sometimes the best transportation is your own two feet. Resorts like Beach Club, BoardWalk, and the Swan and Dolphin are walking distance to not one but two parks, with both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios within walking distance. 

If you’re within walking distance to a park or any other area, consider walking if you’re up for it! You’ll avoid the long lines for transpo and avoid delays. 

Click here to Read More About the new Swan Reserve Resort!

Tip #14: Factor in Travel Times. When you’re planning your trip to Disney World, you might not be thinking about the bus schedule. However, you should factor in LOTS of travel time between parks, rides, resorts, or anywhere you’re heading! 

A good time buffer can mean the difference between missing a reservation because of a delayed bus or a broken Skyliner and having just the right amount of time to get there.

Click here to Read More About Next Year’s Skyliner Refurbishment!

Tip #15: Go Left.  This last tip might be a weird one, but it often works! A classic Disney Pro move is going left when you first get to a park. Why? Because of the way people’s brains work and the way Disney parks are designed, many people feel the urge to go right!  

This isn’t always the case, but it can really help to go left! Basically, if you see a crowd going one way, it might be a good idea to go another way.

Click here to Read More About How Summer Crowds Affect Wait Times!

Those are all the tips we have for now! However, we’re always finding more tips and tricks to help you have the best trip! Plus, we’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news! So stay tuned here for more!

Click here to Get Everything You Need to Plan Your Disney Trip!

What do you think of our tips? What tips have saved you time at Disney World? Let us know in the comments! 

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