Disney World Tips

There are a lot of Walt Disney World tips floating around the internet, but so many times you'll find various tips split into far flung locations on the web, or multiples of the same tips over and over.

I've been to the Walt Disney World Resort 6 times in 7 years, and my husband has been to WDW Resort 10 times. We're already planning our next vacation to the World.

In addition to personal knowledge from experience, we're also Disney World guidebook junkies, and almost daily pull up our favorite Walt Disney World and theme park based websites for news or bits of information that we can't quite recall.

Since there are so many Walt Disney World secrets to uncover, this hub will be constantly evolving. Possibly it will sprout off into many more hubs with a narrower focus as the number of tips per capsule becomes unweildy. Truly, you could make a separate hub for each ride and restaurant!

• Bring an additional dufflebag and address tag in your luggage for souvenirs- or, pack a flat box and packing tape in your suitcase to ship souvenirs home in. Even if you don't plan to buy anything, you will.
• If you're flying to Walt Disney World, take advantage of their Magical Express. As long as you're staying in a Walt Disney World resort hotel and flying into the Orlando airport, you qualify for this free shuttle between hotel and airport. Keep in mind that you may need to book your seat for this shuttle depending on how busy it is.
  
• Bring more than one pair of comfortable shoes, preferably one pair a bit larger than the other. If your feet swell in the Florida heat, you'll be grateful that you did. If not, it's always best to have a dry pair waiting in your hotel room if you get caught in a Florida storm.
• Make use of your FastPasses. For example, Peter Pan's Flight and Toy Story Midway Mania fill up fast and have average wait times of up to 2 hours. Instead, grab a fast pass, ride another one or two rides or have your meal, then swing back through to hop onto the ride.
• Give your tickets to one person in your party to get all of the FastPasses for everyone. This cuts down on lines at the machines, and actually goes much faster than everyone getting their own passes. If you're concerned about whether this is legal, the Disney company actually requests that people do this.
• If you're staying in a Walt Disney World resort you can have your purchases at the parks and Downtown Disney sent to your hotel gift shop the following day, leaving you free to roam the parks at will. If you're not staying in a Disney World hotel, you can still have purchases sent to the front of the park for pickup before you leave.
• Never pay full price. You can find cheap Disney World packages anywhere, even in advertising! And if you choose to stay off property, you can still get discounted Disney World tickets from a number of reputable sellers.
  

This section is for those staying in a Walt Disney World resort hotel only.

• Send your purchases at the parks and Downtown Disney to your hotel gift shop the following day, leaving you free to roam the parks at will. If you're leaving before the packages would be delivered, you can still have purchases sent to the front of the park for pickup before you leave.
• Using Walt Disney World transportation is totally free when you're staying on property, and it's very convenient as buses and ferries run most of the day and evening. However, it can take up to 45 minutes to get from anywhere to anywhere by the buses, so if you have reservations anywhere, make sure to leave early so that a delay in the bus route won't delay you!
• You can get free parking at the Disney parks if you have a car with you. That $10 a day savings could easily make up for some of the savings that you might get by staying off property. Just ask at guest services for a parking pass.
• Take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan. The DDP can save you up to $30 per person per day in food costs! You can only get the Dining Plan as part of a Walt Disney World vacation package. There are two versions available- the original, which features one table service meal, one counter service meal, and a snack. The new version offers two counter service meals and a snack.
• All moderate resorts now have mini-fridges offered in each room included in the room fees. Value resorts also have mini-fridges, but they must be requested and cost approximately $10 a day. It's recommended to request them at time of booking to be certain you'll get one, as during the busy seasons, all the mini-fridges may be booked up.
• Verify all room amenities that you want with a Walt Disney World vacation planning website such as AllEars.net or MouseSavers.com as well as directly with the Walt Disney World company when booking your package/reservation.
• Use the resort food courts. While some of the more expensive resort hotels have sit down restaurants, often the food court offerings are just as good, and occassionally have the same foods! For example, the All Star hotels have a wonderful turkey dinner that costs nearly double in some of the table service restaurants. My husband actually considers the All Star turkey dinner to be superior to the Liberty Tree Tavern's Pilgrim's Feast. However, the All Star version doesn't come with the bread stuffing, but I find their fresh green beans so delicious, that I often ordered them as a side alone.
  
• Take advantage of the free refills mugs. It's estimated that they pay for themselves with 6 fills.
• Plan for your favorite parks when choosing a hotel. For example, many of the EPCOT hotels are also very close to Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the monorail can be taken from EPCOT to the Magic Kingdom. However, if you're an animal lover, you may want to stay near the Animal Kingdom.
  

• While ECVs, wheelchairs, and strollers can be rented at the parks, you may need to arrive early to get them. Supplies are limited and you may arrive to find that the last one has just gone.
• You can rent ECVs, wheelchairs, and strollers from agencies outside of Walt Disney World for a much lower rate. However, if anything happens to it, such as an ECV running out of power, the park staff are not required to assist you any more than they would any other guest. However, if renting directly from the parks, you should find that help and possibly a replacement should be quickly on hand.
• Print out menus from likely seeming eateries before leaving on vacation. AllEars.net has a pretty comprehensive menu list on their website. Choosing before hand helps you pick out the place your party will be most satisfied with, and can help in budget planning.
• Check the weather before leaving for the parks each day. If it may be rainy, you'll want to bring a second pair of shoes to wear after the rain.
• If you plan to watch a parade or finale (fireworks, or Fantasmic) from a popular location, try to find a spot at least an hour early. The best viewing locations generally fill up early.
• If you get tired of the crowds or the Florida sun, check your park map for smoking areas. Often these are in shady areas off the main paths through the parks. Sometimes they even make great short cuts, but they are nearly always next to empty.
  

Walt Disney World Parade Tips:

• One of the best spots to watch Spectromagic (currently Spectromagic has been replaced with Disney's Electrical Parade), the night time parade, is in Liberty Square, just in front of the bridge. If you're positioned right, you can see Cinderella's Castle in the background, and the crowd is much lighter there.
• If you choose to watch the parade on Main Street or in front of the castle, you'll want to snag a piece of sidewalk at least an hour early. These areas fill up fast, and while you'll have no difficulty seeing the floats from the back, characters who walk on the ground will be difficult to see.
• If you want popcorn while you watch the parade, get it early. Just before the parade starts, all of the ice cream and popcorn carts close up.
  

Other Tips:

• If you find the crowds too much to handle, in addition to the smoking areas, there is a path that goes between Mickey's Toon Town Fair (when facing the train station, it starts on your right) and Tomorrowland, near Space Mountain. It takes much longer to go from land to land this way, but there are few people around. There are lovely shady trees, green grass, a few flower beds, and sometimes you'll see the train pass by. It's a lovely, quiet walk, and needs only a few benches to make it the perfect relaxation spot. (Update: during the new Fantasyland expansion construction, the path has been blocked off and possibly permanently removed- this will be updated when I know for sure one way or the other)
  
• Note that Peter Pan's Flight and Space Mountain tend to be the most popular attractions in the Magic Kingdom. Check the wait times, and if it's more than 1/2 hour during the value season, or more than an hour during the busy season for either one, get a FastPass instead of waiting in line. Note that on hot days, Splash Mountain can become so popular that passes "sell out" early in the day.
• If you have a bit of time, take a small detour off of Main Street, USA. While facing the castle, near the entrance of Main Street (read: the train station end, not the castle end) on the right, there's a small section that juts off near the crystal/glass/collectibles shop. It has several patio tables sitting outside, and tends to be rather quiet in there. If you listen carefully, you may hear dance or music lessons going on!
• Also on the train station end of the street, also on the right as you face the castle, is a hat shop. Walk through until you find the old fashioned phone. Pick it up and listen in to a party extension!
  

• If you want a seat by the lagoon for Illuminations, try to find a spot at least 1 1/2 hours early. There aren't many seats lagoonside and they fill up fast and early. Be aware, however, that people will tend to stand in front of you, even if you found a great seat early.
• Another tip for viewing Illuminations is to make a late night reservation at the Rose and Crown in the UK pavillion and request lagoon side seating during the fireworks, or to get a table at La Cantina De San Angel in Mexico. (UPDATE- La Cantina de San Angel is currently closed for refurbishment and will reopen as the Hacienda de San Angel in the same location)
  
• If you've been to EPCOT previously, or are not enamoured with all the various countries have to offer, check out the Kim Possible missions. You get a Kim-municator, and can make cool things happen in various places when you follow the clues!
• Try new foods while you're at EPCOT. Not only are the table service restaurants excellent, but here you can find Japanese stew, sushi, crepes, and many more interesting foods as counter service or in kiosks throughout the World Showcase. You're not even stuck with burgers and hotdogs in Future World, because at Sunshine Seasons in The Land pavillion, there are several food stations offering a healthier, and tastier range of foods. Check out the menus at AllEars.net for more info.
• If you have reservations on one side of World Showcase but you're on the other side, either walk back through the Fountain of Nations area (where you entered World Showcase), or allow extra time to walk through the showcase. Not only are you likely to come across shows that you'd like to see, but there is a bridge near Italy that opens at the most inopportune times.
  

• Number 1 tip for Disney's Hollywood Studios: Get a FastPass for Toy Story Midway Mania as soon as you enter the park. We did so, and by the time we were able to get a second pass, the passes were completely sold out. Yes, this ride is so good that the FastPasses were sold out by noon. During the value season.
• I recommend sitting a bit to the side of the lagoon when viewing Fantasmic. While it's true that some of the visuals aren't as clear as when seated in the middle, you're able to see the whole lagoon at once, and there are some fantastic things that you'll miss if you're only looking straight ahead. I recommend sitting on the left side of the lagoon, and watching the upper part of the rocks during the Pocahontas scene.
• When visiting the Muppets store, take the time to read all the signs. They're fantastic!
• Try to arrive at the Muppets 3-D early. The pre-show is classic Muppet, and the crates and props are fun to look at, too.
• Need real coffee? Check out The Writer's Stop next door to the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater. They grind their own Columbian coffee beans. I will warn you that the coffee is a bit on the weak side in my opinion, but at least it's NOT Nescafe!
  

• Animal Kingdom is my favorite eating park, coming just about even with EPCOT. Not only does the Yak & Yeti provide interesting nibbles, but Flame Tree BBQ and other counter service restaurants provide a welcome break from burgers and fries. There's also a Rainforest Cafe with its own entrance to the park. You'll need your hand stamped if you leave Animal Kingdom for any reason, including eating at Rainforest Cafe, and plan to re-enter, but a cast member is always on duty to do so.
• Even if you're eating elsewhere, take yourself on a tour through Pizzafari. Each of the rooms is themed a different way, and some of the murals are stunning. There's an inordinate number of hidden Mickeys as well. When it's slow in the restaurant, many of the cast members seem to thoroughly enjoy taking guests on a hidden Mickey tour.
• Before you leave Tusker House, step out back to the patio near the Dawa Bar. Listen for a while, and you may hear the sound of a man breaking dishes, or taking a shave!
• Rafiki's Planet Watch is a worthwhile diversion for scenery junkies. You take an open sided train to the conservation spot, and pass real beauty spots as well as see some of the animal houses for the animals you'll see on the Kilimanjaro Safari. This is a great diversion while you wait for your Safari FastPass to be ready.
• For those who dislike crowds or simply love beautiful scenery, take advantage of the paths around the Oasis, and the Discovery Island Trails. You'll see amazing things, like the backs of waterfalls, parrots on perches but not in cages! Monkeys playing around "ruins", and lush greenery all around. Maharajah Jungle Trek and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail are also excellent for this, but have a stronger focus on animals, and therefore may become crowded at times.
• During It's Tough To Be A Bug, when you hear Hopper instruct the hornets to "arm their stingers", lean forward to avoid a nasty surprise.
• Try to be in whatever section of the park that you want to be in during the parade time (I believe it's at 3pm, currently). The parade path blocks off the various sections from each other. You may be able to cut through stores in an emergency, but it's very difficult, time consuming, and failure prone if you're easily distracted by cool merchandise.
  

• No matter what happens, do not let your vacation go by without eating at T-Rex Cafe. Make reservations early, and be on time! It can become extremely crowded, particularly on the weekends, when locals come to eat as well.
• When visiting the World of Disney store, make plans with your family members of where to meet if you become separated. Even with cell phones, that store is easy to get lost in. Choose "the princess room" or "the pirates room" or "outside where Stitch spits on you". Outside will be the easiest to find each other, but not good if you've got merchandise in your hands.
• Note that if you're staying in a Walt Disney World resort hotel, you can have your packages sent back to the hotel gift shop to be picked up the next day. If you're staying off property, you'll have to carry your purchases with you.
• When parking or taking Disney transportation, be sure of which end of Downtown Disney you're looking for. The West End is host to Cirque Du Soleil, Disney Quest, and several high profile restaurants. Pleasure Island has a few shops, but has been mostly night clubs in the past. They've been ripped out and are being revamped as we speak, but will still likely be an entertainment area. The Marketplace is where you'll find all the shops, and Ghirardelli. Check a Downtown Disney map for the locations you want, and park accordingly. Downtown Disney is huge.
  

• You can call Walt Disney World directly at (407) 939-6244
• You can book a vacation at DisneyWorld.com - but make certain that you have an available balance on your credit card large enough to cover the WHOLE reservation, and not just your deposit. If there isn't enough available, your reservation may be canceled without notice.
• You can book through AAA for a discount, which may or may not be better than other Disney World package deals.
• You can book directly through various travel agencies, or even specially licensed Disney World travel specialists.
  

Drinks:

Drinks can be a major budget buster at Walt Disney World. In fact, a bottle of SmartWater that costs $1 in our local grocery stores (and not the discount stores, either!) cost $3 at the World.

• Bring a case of water or other drinks with you if you're driving to the world. Bring one or two bottles with you every day to the parks, and refill from the water fountains.
• To create your own tasty beverage on the cheap, refill a bottle with water from the water fountains or from the water dispenser on soda machines. Use individual packets of water flavorings such as Kool-Aid, Crystal-light, or Celestial Seasonings Zingers to Go.
• Buy a bottle of Powerade for the electrolytes, but don't finish it off. Leave about 1/2"-1" in the bottom, then refill with water from the fountains. The Powerade covers up the unsavory taste of the public water.
• Animal Kingdom has refillable mugs that are only usable the same day for about $12. Multiple party members can share the drinks, and if you return for a second (or third) day, you can purchase a refill sticker for $6.
• Resorts have refillable mugs for about $12. They pay for themselves with approximately 6 fills.
  

Food:

• Take advantage of the Disney Dining Plan if you're staying on property. It can save you up to $30 per person per day.
• If you're not big eaters, share meals. Most places, including the counter service, have huge portions.
• I've heard that you can order an "extra bun" when ordering double cheeseburgers, and you can order just the sandwhich or just the side if you wish. Counter service displays everything as meals, but they don't need to be ordered that way.
• Snack around the world. Share a turkey leg in Tomorrowland, grab a baked potato in Liberty Square (or a bowl of yummy clam chowder), and have a strawberry shortcake sunday in Fantasyland.

Other

Use a guidebook to plan your vacation so that you can budget more easily. Birnbaum's guide book even has Walt Disney World coupons in the back.