36 Basic Disney World Tricks That Make Your Trip WAY Better

As anyone who’s been to Walt Disney World knows, a trip to the parks — while always magical — can sometimes be a bit hectic.

That’s why the AllEars team and I assembled this list of some of the most useful hacks you can use from early morning all through the night to make sure your day at the “Most Magical Place on Earth” goes as smoothly as possible. What are you waiting for? Let’s go!

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR HOTEL ROOM

• If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel and planning to use Early Entry, you need to leave your room on time to get ahead of the crowd.
• To get out the door faster, group your clothes by type using  BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes. Pack one cube per day or by category; that way, you can streamline getting up quickly in the morning.  If you want to go a step further, use the Open Story Travel Neck Pillow Packing Cube. Our reporters love this for the flight—you stuff it with clothes and use it as a pillow, which basically gives you an extra bag for free.
• Hang a closet organizer, like the TABITORA Hanging Shelves. You can pack your entire “closet” at home, zip it up, and when you get to your room, you just hang it, and you’re done.
• Your toiletries go in one bag. We use the BAGSMART Travel Toiletry Bag to eliminate the “digging” that slows down your morning.
• Pick one outlet in the room to use as your primary charging station. We use the NTONPOWER Flat Plug Power Strip because Disney hotel outlets are often hidden behind heavy furniture, and we want to charge as many devices as possible (phone, watch, etc.) at once. Pair that with the MultiCharger for MagicBand+, so you’re not fighting over outlets.
• Pack your park bag the night before so you’re not rebuilding this bag at 7:00 AM.

ARRIVING AT THE PARK

• Have a rope drop plan and execute it without stopping. The 30-minute head start provided by Early Entry is only helpful if you actually use it. Our team has tested this: you need to be on the first bus and at the gate before it opens to actually be at the front of the pack. You get to the gate before it opens, and you position yourself for your first ride.
• When the park opens, don’t stop at the front of the park. That’s the bottleneck where people pause to check maps and decide where they’re starting their day. Since you already know, you head there immediately. You go straight to your first ride. You get on, you get off, you go directly to your second ride. The goal is two rides before the lines spike.
• This movement requires solid shoes. The HOKA Clifton 10 feels like walking on a cloud—it’s heavily cushioned to absorb that early impact, and the Brooks Adrenaline GTS gives you structure to keep your stride stable as the miles add up.
• In addition, stock up on supplies to avoid the ailments that come with time in an Orlando theme park. Use  MegaBabe Thigh Rescue to prevent chafing before it starts,  Compeed Blister Cushions on hot spots early to act as a seal, and Bombas Compression Socks keep your circulation moving.

LIGHTNING LANE CONTROL

• If you’re booking a Lightning Lane and then waiting, you’re falling behind. Use the system as a loop: Book a ride, use the Lightning Lane. The moment you tap in, you book the next one.
• Use the Modify button constantly—if something earlier for an in-demand ride opens, take it.
• Take advantage of the buffer in your return window. Your Lightning Lane doesn’t expire the second the window ends. Rather, you have roughly a three-hour window to use it. Once your original return time passes, the system treats it like it’s been used. This allows you to book your next Lightning Lane while still holding the original one, a process referred to as “stacking.”  You hold one ride for later while building your day in the present.
• If you’re park hopping, start in Animal Kingdom as it’s the cheapest Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Use your first ride quickly and start booking for your second park while you’re still in your first one. You’re building your afternoon before you even get there.
• Of course, none of this works if your phone dies. We generally prefer to use the INIU portable Charger because it shows your exact battery percentage. However, FuelRods are our backup. The newer FuelRod MAX10 holds more power and attaches to your phone, plus we love the convenience of swapping these at kiosks in a pinch.
• Use short cables to keep everything tight and easy to manage while you’re moving.

MIDDAY SURVIVAL

• The afternoon can be a stressful time, with heat, noise, and crowds at their highest. That’s why we’d recommend resetting. Stop riding rides between 1 and 4 PM unless the wait is low. Instead, switch modes and focus on Indoor shows, long meals, or leaving the park completely for a hotel break.
• Speaking of temperature, once your body overheats, your movement slows, and your decisions get worse. So we manage the heat actively. The JISULIFE Portable Neck Fan keeps you cool, but on high, it lasts about 3.5 hours, while the AMKEN Waist Fan pushes air through your shirt to cool your core.
• If you’re wearing a backpack, use the VentaPak to create a gap so heat doesn’t get trapped.
• For instant cooling, use a Sukeen Cooling Towel.
• Depending on which park you’re in, find a high AC/low effort attraction like The American Adventure for a respite.

MOVEMENT & MICRO-DECISIONS

• Do your best to avoid following crowds as much as possible. For example, people naturally drift right, as our reporters have observed at every theater door and split line. So instead, look left. It’s usually less crowded, and that one shift puts you in shorter stanchions and less time in line.
• Single Rider lines CAN be a tool for speed in certain situations. At Expedition Everest and Test Track, it’s generally a consistent time-saver, while it’s usually not all that effective on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Just a warning that on Smugglers Run, you will almost certainly be an Engineer.
• If you’re going to be moving quickly and efficiently, you’ll need an efficient bag.  The Maxie & Nova Fanny Pack is a “1000% recommendation.” It’s a tactical loadout designed for your essentials—you stage it with your fan, towel, and poncho so everything has a fixed spot. You’ll never find yourself stopping to dig through a bag. Simply reach in, grab, and keep moving.

FOOD & BREAK TIMING

• Don’t wait until you’re hungry! Mobile order while you’re already waiting in line for a ride. Order early to lock in your spot in the kitchen.
• Eat when ride lines peak between 12 and 2 PM.
• Carry an Owala FreeSip Water Bottle. The straw design means you don’t have to tilt your head back to drink while moving through a crowd.
• Bring snacks in Whiskware Stackable Snack Containers. They are “crush-proof” so your crackers don’t turn into dust.
• For quick service meals, bring a small reusable utensil set. Our team has found that the wooden utensils provided in the parks are genuinely difficult to use; having your own set eliminates that frustration.

NIGHT STRATEGY

• During and after fireworks shows, the Magic Kingdom tends to empty. While everyone else is leaving, the biggest rides hit their lowest waits. That’s why you must decide early: Are you watching fireworks, or riding rides during them?
• If you stay 60 to 90 minutes after close, say by hopping onto a line just before park closing,  you avoid the transportation bottleneck. While the rest of the guests are fighting for a spot on the first bus back, you’re walking right onto yours.
• When you arrive back at your hotel, toss your worn park clothes in the Handy Laundry Mesh Hamper. It allows for airflow so the Florida humidity doesn’t settle into your laundry, and folds flat in your suitcase, pops open in the room, and makes packing at the end take five minutes.

RAPID-FIRE TIPS

• Pack the Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Poncho in case of rain. It’s a breathable, non-woven fabric that won’t cling to you when you’re sweaty.
• In addition, Silicone Shoe Covers are a great way to keep your shoes and socks dry while everyone else is squelching in a storm.
• Any Quick Service location with a soda fountain will give you a cup of ice water for free. Just walk up and ask.
• Keep Wet Ones on you because “Disney is sticky.” Melted snacks and spilled drinks add up, so clean your hands before the feeling builds.
• Use Chums Eyewear Retainers to keep your sunglasses secure on coasters or near water.

Next time you pay a visit to Walt Disney World, be sure to keep each and every one of these hacks in mind to ensure that you have the best possible day — from start to finish — at the Vacation Kingdom, and stay tuned to AllEars for more Disney tips.

The 12 Disney World Hacks I Won’t Shut Up About

Are you heading to Disney World anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below.

Post a Comment