Our 23 BEST Disney World Tips For Your 2023 Vacation

Read our 24 BEST Tips for Your 2024 Disney World Vacation HERE!

Planning a 2023 trip to Disney World? There’s a lot to keep up with, but that’s why we’re here!

We have years of experience in giving planning advice and we’ve put together guides on the best and worst times to visit the parks, how much you should realistically budget, and we’ve shared money-saving hacks for your next Disney vacation. But now, we’re taking you through 23 of the best Disney World planning tips for your 2023 vacation!

Ahead of Your Trip

1. Be Aware of Surge Pricing

In November of 2022, Disney announced that 1-day 1-park tickets would have surge pricing depending on the park. Animal Kingdom is the lowest starting price and Magic Kingdom is the highest starting price — if you are buying 1-day 1-park tickets, be sure to watch the prices. If possible with your schedule, you can pick the cheaper days listed for the park you want to visit.

Even if you have a multi-day park ticket, prices vary by day. When going to buy tickets, check the calendar for the cheapest days to visit Disney World and try to build your trip around that to save some cash! See the cheapest days to visit Disney World in 2023 here.

While it’s not always possible to move your trip around (for example, your kids are only available to go during spring break), paying attention to the price can end up saving you lots.

2. Don’t Pay Full Price for Your Hotel

Disney World has several price categories for its hotels, but do NOT pay full price for your hotel room! There are constantly hotel deals happening at Disney World — we’ll let you know about them, but make sure you check what deals Disney is running so you can get a discounted hotel room.

There are specific groups of people who sometimes get more or bigger deals including Annual Passholders and Florida residents,, but we’ve also seen massive deals for guests with Disney+ subscriptions.

You can also use hotel points at some of the Disney Springs hotels — these hotels still get the same perks as Disney World-owned hotels like Early Theme Park Entry.

If you don’t want the stress of finding the deals and planning your vacation by yourself, you can use a travel agent instead! We recommend our friends over at Mouse Fan Travel and they can help you plan your trip for free.

3. Have a Plan for Dining Reservations

Dining reservations in Disney World can be made 60 days in advance and if you are staying at a Disney World hotel, you can make dining reservations for the length of your stay. But you’ll want to have a plan in place before you make your reservations!

Dining reservations typically open around 5:45AM EST and they can go very fast at popular spots like ‘Ohana or California Grill. Write out your plan for dining reservations you want ahead of time so when that 5AM alarm goes off to make reservations, you are prepared.

Steakhouse 71 Filet with Macaroni and Cheese

Pro tip: If you have a multi-day trip at a Disney World hotel, start with the first day of your trip since everyone has access to those reservations. Then you can make them for the other days!

Click here to see everything you should consider before making dining reservations!

4. Know Your Food Priorities

Speaking of food, know your priorities when it comes to food! It can be very tempting to want to eat everywhere and you end up making too many reservations, but know you and your group’s habits.

For example, if you are going to EPCOT during a festival (which is most days of the year) and you know you want to try a bunch of festival eats, consider skipping a dining reservation at a table service restaurant in the park.

Pork Slider at EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Disney did change the dining reservations policy that allows more flexibility and last minute cancelations, but knowing your priorities ahead of time will alleviate the stress of changing plans last minute.

5. Want to Celebrate the 50th Anniversary? Visit Before April

Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebrations kicked off on October 1st, 2021, and believe it or not, they are still going on! The celebrations official end on March 31st, 2023, so time is running out.

If you are set on experiencing the 50th anniversary offerings in the parks, be sure to book your trip before April of 2023! By then, we may start to see decorations, specialty treats, and certain entertainment disappear.

6. Decide on Airport Transportation in Advance

Magical Express (Disney World’s free transportation service that took guests to and from Orlando International Airport and their Disney hotel) was discontinued in the beginning of 2022. So now, it’s up to you to decide how you want to get to Disney World from the airport.

There are several options to choose from. If you prefer to be more in control, you can rent a car and drive yourself to the hotel. You can also choose a bus transportation service like Mears Connect or Sunshine Flyer or just call an Uber, Lyft, or Minnie Van to take you.

You might even feel the cost with your rideshare

Try to make this decision in advance, because the Orlando International Airport can be a bit chaotic — having a plan in place will hopefully ease some of the stress.

7. Be Familiar With the My Disney Experience App

The My Disney Experience app is a must when you’re visiting Disney World. Nowadays, it’s very hard to be in the parks without your phone and this app, so you should familiarize yourself with it before heading out on your trip.

The app has many different features including the ability to check wait times, the tip board when using Genie and Genie+, Mobile Order, virtual queues, and so much more. There are several mistakes Disney World guests make when using the app, but check out our tips on how to avoid those mistakes!

8. Make Park Pass Reservations ASAP

In 2020 when the parks reopened, Disney World introduced the park pass reservation system. Although there are mixed feelings from Disney fans, you are now required to make a reservation for the park you want to enter.

Park pass reservations can fill up fast, especially around busy times or on holidays. Make your reservations as soon as you buy your tickets if possible — this will ensure that you are getting into the parks you want. Even if you change your mind, you can modify your park pass reservation as long as there is availability for the park you want to switch to.

9. Pay Attention to Events Happening at Disney World

Crowds can be pretty predictable — the winter holidays and spring break are a time when we expect big crowds in Disney World. However, there are some dates you may not realize will have BIG crowds in the parks.

Disney World hosts many major events including runDisney weekends and cheer competitions, so before booking, check the dates and make sure there aren’t any major events happening at the resort that will cause major crowds!

10. Hold Off on Your Trip for the Newest Attractions

Disney has announced that two major attractions are opening in 2023 — TRON Lightcycle Run and Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana! If you want to hit both of these new attractions on your 2023 trip, plan your trip for later in the year.

TRON Lightcycle Run is set to open in spring of 2023 so it may be tempting to book a vacation right after that. However, the Moana attraction in EPCOT is set to open in late 2023!

Disney has not released exact dates yet, but if both of these are important to you, you might want to pushback the trip until later in 2023 or even 2024.

11. Make a List of Priorities

With so many things to do at Disney World, it’s pretty impossible to do everything, so make a list of your priorities in the park!

Are you a ride person? Make a list of must-do rides. Want to eat 20 snacks in one day? You may do less rides and shows so you can eat all of the snacks you want. It all depends on what you want to get out of your trip but it’s also important to be realistic about what you can do in a day.

12. Watch AllEars Videos

The AllEars team is full of Disney experts and we have post videos daily on our YouTube channel! These range from challenges to crowd updates to special events — you can learn just about everything you need to know just by watching our videos! Check out our top things in Disney World playlist on YouTube below:

During Your Trip

13. Don’t Forget About Freebies

Did you know you can get some things for free in Disney World? Yes, it’s really true! This includes cups of ice water at quick service locations, birthday or celebration buttons, and soda samples at Club Cool.

There are several other things you can get for free in the parks still — check out a full list here!

14. Know How to Use a Virtual Queue

Remember how we said to familiarize yourself with the My Disney Experience app? This is where it comes in handy! You’ll want to know how to use a virtual queue when in Disney World!

Currently Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT uses a virtual queue but it is likely that Disney will bring a virtual queue to TRON Lightcycle Run when it opens in Magic Kingdom. See everything you need to know about the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind virtual queue here.

15. Save Time With Mobile Order

To make the most of your day in Disney World, saving time where you can is important. A big way to save time is using Mobile Order at quick service spots!

On the My Disney Experience app, you can choose a time window and order everything on your phone. You’ll click a button on the app when you arrive at the restaurant and then you’ll get a notification to come grab your food. It’s super convenient and can save you time standing in line!

See our best Mobile Order tips in Disney World here.

16. Only Use Genie+ When You Need It

When it’s crowded in Disney World, you may feel the need to buy Genie+ for every park and every day of the trip — but that’s not necessarily the case.

This goes hand in hand with your priorities. If rides are the priority, you may want to buy Genie+. However, in parks with fewer rides like Animal Kingdom, you should be able to do every ride without Genie+ in one day.

It all depends on your wants on your trip, so read up on Genie+ to make an informed decision. Genie+ also recently announced flexible pricing, so it may cost you and your group a lot of money to skip the lines. To find out if we think Genie+ is worth it in each park, check out our guide here.

17. Use Single Rider Lines

If you don’t mind splitting up your group, hop in the single rider line when you can! Several popular rides including Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster have single rider lines that can move much faster than the regular queue.

You still get to wait with your group in line — you just have to split up when it comes to filling the empty seat as a single rider. This can also be a huge time saver, however single rider lines are sometimes closed off. Keep an eye on it on your next visit!

18. Get Up Early or Stay Later (or Both)

We keep track of the wait times every day and we notice trends. So if you want to skip the crowds without using Genie+, we recommend rope dropping (arriving at the parks before it opens so that you are some of the first people in the park) or staying until close.

When looking at the wait times, the lines are lowest at the most popular rides first thing in the morning and in the last couple of hours when the parks are open. Remember that if you are staying at a Disney World hotel, you can get into each park 30 minutes early every day which can also save you some time. So consider getting to the parks early, staying until the park closes, or both!

19. Know Your Group & Their Needs

It can be very tempting to stay in the parks ALL. DAY. After all, you paid lots of money to be on a Disney World vacation, so it makes sense to make the most of it, right?

It does make sense, but you should also keep in mind who is in your group and what their needs are. If you have kiddos in the group, chances are you will need a midday break for a nap (hey, even adults might need this!). If you get crowd burnout, build in some time at the pool. Know what you and your group need and adjust your priorities accordingly to have a successful trip!

20. Be Patient and Prepare for Plans to Change

You could spend years planning a Disney World vacation, but that doesn’t mean everything will go to plan. Bad weather, technical difficulties, or personal issues can cause plans to change.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party rain

Be patient with yourself, Cast Members, and your group — it’s okay for plans to change day of! One of your favorite rides could go down for the entire day you’re in that specific park, and unfortunately it’s out of your control. Instead of letting it ruin your day, focus on what you can do and let your plans adapt to your day.

Packing Tips

21. Yes, It Will Probably Rain

Since we just talked about weather, it’s probably a good time to bring up that you should pack for all kinds of weather in Florida! Rain happens all of the time and you could see some pretty severe weather during hurricane season.

Disney Springs Hotel during Hurricane Ian

We recommend packing your own ponchos instead of buying expensive ones at Disney World and you’ll want to throw some extra socks in your park bag in case it rains (or in case you get soaked on Splash Mountain!).

Also, remember that Florida is not warm all year! Yes, it is warm most of the year, but it can get pretty chilly in the winter months. Check the weather when packing so that you are prepared for anything the Florida weather wants to throw at you.

22. Bring Activities for Long Lines

It’s inevitable — at some point you’ll find yourself in a long line at Disney World. But if you prepare ahead of time, it doesn’t have to be boring or a waste of time!

We’ve put together a list of activities and things you can do while waiting in line at Disney World! Don’t let waiting in line be boring.

23. Pack the Right Shoes

The last and possibly most important tip of all is to pack the right shoes! It may seem like a small thing, but it truly can make or break your trip.

You will walk miles and miles on your Disney World trip, so it’s important to have comfortable and supportive shoes! There’s nothing worse than getting a blister on the first day of your trip and having to walk on it for days. We’ve compiled a list of the best sneakers to wear the Disney World, so be sure to check that out here!

We’ll continue to keep you update you on any changes in the parks that could impact your 2023 Disney World trip. Happy planning!