6 Common Disney World Tips You Should Ignore

We know there’s no shortage of Disney World advice out there!

But not all Disney World tips are created equal, and some of them are just not good at all! Here are six common tips we’ve heard a lot that you should definitely ignore!

As people who are in the parks every day, we’ve done a lot of Disney-ing and heard all the tips and tricks there are. We’ve tried a whole bunch of Disney parks strategies, and some them are great! Others are…less great. These are six tips you should NOT listen to!

Start from One Spot and Make a Loop Around the Park

If your plan was to start at the entrance and make a loop around the park, waiting in line for all the rides and only going to spots in your path, we urge you to reconsider!

For your own sanity, please don’t do this! You’ll end up waiting in more lines than you need to, which means you might not have time to get to everything you want to do.

You may be waiting in line for a long time!

Instead, make a list of the rides and attractions that are the most important to you. Plan to do those things first, starting with the most popular ones! If you get through your list early, you can go back and try some more rides.

it’s a small world usually has long lines in the afternoon!

That might mean that you’re criss-crossing around the parks a little bit, which is what usually happens to us! You’ll definitely get in your steps for the day 😉 But it’s worth it to hit your favorite rides and get on them before the wait is too long!

Click Here to See How to Plan Out Your Day at All Four Disney World Parks!

Go on Every Ride

We hate to say it, but some rides at Disney World can definitely be skipped. Don’t insist on riding every one, because you’ll probably wait in long lines all day and be disappointed by some of the rides you could have skipped depending on your party.

Instead, you should do a little research and figure out which rides sound the best to you and your group. Prioritize the ones that are best for yourself and your party and leave the other, slightly less appealing rides for your “if we have time” list.

Besides, some of the best things in Disney World aren’t rides at all! Make sure you’re finding some good snacks, making delicious dining reservations, seeing the Cinderella Castle, walking around World Showcase at EPCOT…there’s so much to do, that you don’t want to fill your day with only rides.

Click Here to See Our Ranking of the Rides at Hollywood Studios!

Get As Many Dining Reservations as Possible

We know — we’re also obsessed with eating at Disney World. The food is just so good! But you might not want to get a ton of dining reservations. Hear us out, because there are a couple of reasons to choose fewer reservations during your trip.

Dining reservations take up a lot of time during your stay. They’ll probably be at least an hour, usually longer. If your group would rather be going on rides or seeing attractions in that time, consider getting a quick-service meal that you can grab on the go or eat quickly!

Table Service dining can also be pretty expensive in the parks and at the Disney World resorts. You can save a lot of cash by switching a couple of meals to quick-service. Want an even more intense budgeting tip? Get groceries delivered to your room for breakfast instead of doing that expensive character dining breakfast. You’ll save time and money that way!

Also, some Table Service locations are a little more upscale, which can be super boring for young kids. They’d probably rather be out on the spinning teacups than sitting politely while your waiter gives you the wine list. If you’re traveling with younger kids, it might just be more enjoyable for everyone to limit the fancy dining and instead spend that money on fun snacks in the parks.

Click Here to See the Best Restaurants at Every Price Point in Disney World!

Bring a Ton of Things Into the Parks in a Big Backpack

We understand that you want to pack a lot of things for your trip in to the parks! In fact, we have plenty of packing lists to remind you about the essentials you need for your trip. But do you really need to bring in seven water bottles? What about four extra pairs of socks? Probably not.

If you stuff a ton of things into a big bag and carry it around all day, you’ll probably get tired real fast and then not enjoy your day as much. It’s also harder to bring big bags on rides, especially if they won’t squish in by your feet in the ride vehicle.

Loungefly mini-backpacks are a pretty good size for park essentials!

Plus, let’s be honest, you most likely won’t even use half of the stuff in your bag. Instead, pick out the essentials and put them into a smaller bag. You could even save some space by linking your MagicBand to your credit card and leaving your wallet in the hotel room safe!

Click Here to See Seven Mistakes You’re Making When Packing for a Disney Trip!

Plan Every Minute of Every Day

Are you a type-A Disney planner who likes to have everything sorted out and arranged months before your trip begins?

The early guest gets the short lines on Avatar: Flight of Passage

We will NEVER tell you not to plan your Disney trip thoroughly. The key to a great Disney trip is great preparation and planning. But make sure to plan time in your vacation for a little rest and spontaneity! Get up early, do rope-drop, get in all your favorite rides, and then leave the afternoon for a dip in the pool, some park strolling, or just people watching.

It’s better to do a little less but be happy and energetic than to do it all and be exhausted the whole time! Know your limits and plan accordingly. Honestly, we’re big fans of taking a mid-day nap when it’s just too dang hot outside. Then, we go back into the parks and enjoy the cooler evenings!

Click Here to See Disney World Planning Tips that No One Has Told You About!

Stake Out a Fireworks-Watching Spot Hours Ahead of Time

During your time in Magic Kingdom and other parks with fireworks shows, you will no doubt see guests sitting down in a spot with a nice view hours before the show even thinks about starting. You will likely be tempted to join them. Do not do this.

Seriously — you don’t need to stake out a fireworks watching spot and waste hours sitting there when you could be getting on rides or finding tasty snacks! You can see the fireworks pretty well from a lot of different spots in the park. They are, after all, in the sky, which is visible from many different points.

Use your time to get on rides that probably have shorter lines while other people sit in the sun or rain waiting for the show to begin!

Click Here to See the Best Places to Watch Fireworks in Magic Kingdom!

Hopefully this helps you avoid some bad Disney advice and plan the best Disney trip possible! Remember to do what feels good for your group, even if some advice points elsewhere. Do y’all love to try new foods? Then go for some different dining reservations! Does your kid just HAVE to ride Peter Pan three times in one day? Get there early and you can totally do it! You can absolutely make your trip just right for you, even if it’s not what everyone else is doing.

Keep following AllEars for more helpful hits about planning your Disney World vacation!