What I Wish I’d Known Before I Went To Disney World In 2026

If you’re planning a Disney World vacation in 2026, you’re going to want to pull up a chair, sit down, and read this!

We can admit that even we Disney pros learn a thing (or ten) each visit to Disney World. Hey — we do say that Disney is constantly changing, and with that, we learn from our experiences. So we’re sharing with you our tips for what we wish we had known before our 2026 Disney World trip.

Before we share the lessons we’ve learned at Disney World in 2026, if you’re planning a vacation to Disney World, you need this FREE resource that your friends at AllEars have made. It comes directly to your email so you can look at it when you have time, and you can constantly go back to it! It’ll give you all you need to know on dining reservations, Lightning Lanes, and more.

1. Construction WILL Impact You

On a recent trip to Disney World, one thing kept coming up for us: all of the construction. I know, I know — we’ve been talking about construction A LOT, and that’s because there is a lot of construction ongoing. Once you’re there, you realize WHY we keep talking about it when we do our planning videos. 

In Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom specifically, it feels like every time you turn the corner, you’re running into walls or “pardon our pixie dust” signs. Even veteran Disney guests can get turned around right now in the parks with all of the construction walls up. 

At Animal Kingdom specifically, the physical loss of Dinoland made the park feel chopped in half. So even if you KNOW all of the information about the changes and construction going on in the parks, experiencing it really feels different.

2. Prices Have Not Changed

Even with all the construction, prices have not decreased. Sure, does Animal Kingdom only have 5 rides? Yes. And, we still paid $32 per person to skip some of those lines with Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Do you need Lightning Lane for Animal Kingdom? No. But we chose to take advantage of it for our travel party.

While Animal Kingdom is the most extreme example, it is important to know that with all of this construction and confusion, you’re still going to be paying those Disney prices. Similarly, Hollywood Studios has multiple sections under construction, but I promise — nothing is cheaper here because of that. 

3. Don’t Off Disney Property Doesn’t Always Save Money

We also stayed in an Airbnb for the first time in a while. It costs us more to stay there than it would to stay at an All-Star resort on property. We had our own little pool, we were all able to get our own rooms, and we had a kitchen, so the extra money did come with more space. However, we have to admit there were a lot of parts of staying at a Disney resort that we did miss.

Disney transportation is so easy (even with long lines), and it makes it so that no one has to worry about driving.  If you don’t rent a car or bring a car, you’ll also need to budget for Uber, which can add up quickly.  We also missed the quick-service meals you can grab at the Disney resort! I know, this might sound silly, but after we bought all of our groceries, we could have individually bought quick service meals for cheaper.

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Staying off property also means that you need to allow for more travel time. The ride from our Airbnb to the parks was about 30 minutes. That isn’t a bad drive overall, but it does mean that you need to account for more travel time, especially on your way there in the morning. 

There were lots of positives to staying in an Airbnb. You do get a larger space, but we also missed a lot of those Disney comforts.  We also aren’t sure it saved us money, which is why staying off property appeals to a lot of guests. 

4. Busy Weeks Aren’t Slowing Down

We have seen quite a bit of conversation online of people saying 2026 is their skip year due to all the construction ongoing. Some guests are waiting on new rides or new lands to open, but let me tell you — I don’t believe those comments!

During our recent trip, it was the last week of spring break travel ahead of Easter week, and WOW, there was no shortage of guests! If you think that all of the construction and downtime might lead you to quieter park days, I hate to say that you are sorely mistaken. Now, that’s not a real deal breaker for us because we know how to handle crowds, but for some, it could be. 

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We can purchase Lightning Lanes, use Mobile Order ahead of time, find spots to sit and cool down, and generally be open-minded throughout the day. Go with the flow and don’t follow a rigid plan if you can. That being said…. we suggest you don’t believe busy weeks are slowing down based on what you see online. 

5. Things are Changing — ALL THE TIME

In addition to construction, this trip really reminded us that things are constantly changing in the parks. There are those tried and true favorite staples like DOLE Whip, spring rolls, cinnamon rolls, and more, but if you love to try the newest thing, you might be out of luck. 

There might be snacks you wanted to try that can already be retired from their menus, and the same with shopping! Over in Disney Springs, several spots have permanently closed this year (and even a pop-up was added for a limited time), so even shopping can rotate quickly throughout the year. This can also be true for rides, shows, and more, but even the little things like snacks and merchandise are switching up all the time.  If you saw something on social media, just mentally prepare yourself not to find it (then if you do, it’s a sweet surprise). 

6. Plan, Even If You’re a Pro

Not to brag, but we are TRULY Disney experts — I mean, that’s part of our job. We need expertise in order to help people understand the parks and find out what is right for themselves before they get there. That being said, we still don’t just roll up to the parks and hop for the best. Honestly, when I’ve done park days like that, it’s overwhelming with the possibility of choice! 

Now, we’re not saying you need to plan for every second of the day, either, so there is a nice middle ground in there. We recommend having a list of goals. Maybe three high-priority goals and three low priority. So we can have a loose game plan before heading into the parks. 

With things changing, it’s a good idea to check ride closures and the latest information right before your trip. Having a plan can save you time and give you a good idea of your goals. If you love to see where the day takes you, that’s your choice, but it’s not the way we roll.

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7. Fix My Disney Experience Before You Go

This is a very underrated tip, but you need to make sure everyone in your travel party is connected to the My Disney Experience app. If you don’t know what it means to be connected, it means making sure that your friends and family list is taken care of, and you can make plans or Lightning Lanes for each other. 

While on our trip, we thought there was a profile for someone in the party, but when they tried to connect it to a profile she had created, it caused an issue with our Lightning Lanes, and theirs disappeared. This meant we had to spend quite a bit of time with Guest Relations for them to get it all sorted out. In order to avoid wasting precious park time, be sure to double-check with everyone ahead of time. 

8. Plan Your Meals

This isn’t a 2026-specific tip, but thinking about your meals ahead of time could be beneficial for you if you have specific dining needs or picky eaters.  If you don’t plan for it, you could end up spending time searching for spots that everyone wants to eat at. 

It’s a good idea to look through menus ahead of time to make sure everyone’s preferences will be met at that restaurant. If you have someone in your party who only wants chicken tenders, then you should probably note which restaurants have them!

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9. Plan For Your Weakness

I would love to tell you I’m the person who makes a budget for the trip and sticks to it, but that’s just not my area of strength. We ended up buying extra lightning lanes, pin packs, and last-minute sit-down dinners.

So what I mean when I say, plan for your weakness, if you typically overspend, maybe overshoot your budget. This can also act as an emergency fund, like you would in case you have any accidents, emergencies, or last-minute changes that you can’t account for. I would rather be realistic than optimistic when it comes to planning my cash. 

10. Pack Your Patience

Finally, if you are going to Disney World with a group that might not be the typical group you travel with, be prepared to be patient. Even if you’re all Disney pros, everyone “does Disney” in different ways. 

Sometimes, the best way to tackle Disney World is with extra patience in your pockets. Letting go of your expectations can be a very healthy way to experience the parks. In lines, waiting for food, standing in the heat… Any of these situations and more are the times you need to be ready to take a breath and chill. 

Having games on your phone, frequent bathroom breaks, a constantly full water bottle, and books downloaded are great ways to help break up those dull times. You will likely get frustrated with someone on your trip, so be prepared for how to respond. Maybe you need to go on a solo walk, get a cooling towel, or just take some deep breaths. 

We hope our experiences are ones you can learn from and apply to your Disney World trip. For more Disney tips and news, be sure to follow us at AllEars.net.

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