From magical rides to nostalgic character meet-and-greets, Disney World is a trip that no one should skip. No matter how old you are, this Orlando theme park will have everyone smiling. I grew up watching Disney movies and visiting Disney World from time to time. My most recent trip was this year for a RunDisney race weekend, to visit Magic Kingdom, and for a Star Wars lightsaber workshop in Hollywood Studios. I’ve also experienced Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival, which was delicious. Over the years I’ve obtained different tips and tricks to make your Disney World visit most enjoyable. Keep reading for a comprehensive Disney World travel guide!
Disney World Vacation Planning To-Do List
Planning a Disney World vacation is no small feat, but it is worth every minute of preparation. If you’ve never visited, you may be unaware of the steps needed to do so. I’ve listed these out below!
- Create a My Disney Experience account and download the My Disney Experience mobile app. Your account will be used to book your park tickets, hotel, & extras and the app will be needed for ride wait times, park maps, reserving Lightening Lane selections, mobile food ordering, and more.
- Book your hotel stay (read where to stay below)
- Purchase your Disney park ticket (Add Memory Maker and Genie+ at this time)
- Make your Disney park reservation
- Make any dining or Enchanting Extras reservations (available 60 days prior to park day)
Where to Stay During a Disney World Trip
One thing I can’t stress enough is how valuable it is to stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel if you’re going to be visiting any of the Disney theme parks. These range in price, with the value resort hotels still offering a pleasant stay. I’ve stayed at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort a few times (a value-level resort) and it was great. I highly recommend booking your hotel, park tickets, Memory Maker, and Genie+ all together in a vacation package on Walt Disney World’s website. Below are the notable perks that Disney World resort hotel guests receive during their stay:
- Complimentary shuttle buses to and from all Disney theme parks and Disney Springs
- Early theme park entry (30 minutes before the public)
- Extended theme park hours
- Early access to Lightening Lane/Genie+ selections (7am instead of at park-opening)
- Pre-arrival discount on online MagicBand purchases
- Complimentary parking at Disney theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs
- Select dining discounts
The complimentary shuttle buses to and from the theme parks alone will help save you some money. The resorts no longer Disney’s Magical Express at Orlando’s International Airport. They now partner with Mears Connect. We reserved a roundtrip ride from the airport to our hotel for $32 each. The bus was nice with a bathroom onboard and they made sure we got to our destination on time.
Disney PhotoPass Memory Maker
I highly recommend purchasing the Disney PhotoPass Memory Maker option when booking your park tickets. Professional photographers associated with Disney PhotoPass are stationed around the four theme parks in optimal picture spots (i.e. in front of Cinderella’s Castle). Before taking your photo, they will scan your MagicBand to have the images sync with your My Disney Experience account. The photos load pretty quickly (within 10-20 minutes after taking) within the app. Usually these would be sold for a cost and have a watermark over them. By purchasing Memory Maker you have unlimited access to all professional photos taken during your trip. This includes photos and videos from all four theme parks as well as RunDisney races (learn how to prepare for a RunDisney race weekend here).
- Memory Maker for one day: $69
- Memory Maker for your whole trip/more than one day: $169
This feature is great for groups, especially when it’s just two people and no one else to take quality photos of you together. Sometimes the PhotoPass staff will add fun Disney animations to your photos, like the image of Tinkerbell featured above!
Disney Genie+ Add-On
Disney theme park tickets can be purchased as a one day or multiple day (Park Hopper) option. They usually range between $135-$155 per day, plus tax. Remember, you must also make a park reservation with your park ticket! Disney Genie is a free service in your My Disney Experience account to save rides and shows to a wish list that you can refer to during your visit. Disney Genie+, however, is a paid add-on that allows you to make Lightening Lane (fast pass) selections. When selecting your park days, you can select Disney Genie+ as an add-on. If it doesn’t show in check out, you can add it later on after purchasing your park ticket.
I highly recommend Genie+ and having Lightening Lane access. If you hate waiting in long lines, or have someone with a disability that makes it hard to do so, Genie+ is a huge help. To give you an idea, we were able to select some of our favorite, long-wait rides throughout the day and only wait about 10 minutes in the Lightening Lane line compared to 60-70 minutes in the standby line. BIG difference. Offered Lightening Lane options include a variety of rides, character meet-and-greets, and shows in Disney World’s four theme parks – Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom.
Disney World Enchanting Extras Reservations
Disney World has some great secret gems, including their Enchanting Extras! These, in my opinion, are wildly underrated and under-advertised. You can find available Enchanting Extras on this page. They range from food-focused events to building workshops. During our most recent trip we did Savi’s Handbuilt Lightsabers Workshop in the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge section of Hollywood Studios. It was awesome! This workshop had us create our own custom lightsaber from scratch. We made our reservations when they became available 60 days out and left a bit of time open before and after it. This specific experience was $219.99 per person plus tax, but Enchanting Extras can range from $20 to $399 per person depending on what it is.
What to Do at Disney World
Once you’ve planned your trip, it’s time to arrive and enjoy! Make sure you make the most of your time at Disney World theme parks with the below list.
- Reserve Lightning Lane (Genie+) spots for Disney theme park rides or shows
- Eat at popular quick service and sit-down spots
- Get pictures taken with available Disney characters
- Shop for souvenirs on Main Street
Disney World Rides with the Longest Wait Times
All Disney theme park rides and character meet-and-greets will have some type of wait time, but it will be a lot shorter with Genie+. From my experience, I’ve seen a pattern with which rides have the longest wait time and have the wait increase the fastest. These are the rides you’ll want to use your Genie+ Lightning Lane selections towards. I can only speak for Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios as those are the parks I’ve been on rides the most. As a rule of thumb, usually thrill rides will have a huge wait.
Magic Kingdom Rides
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Splash Mountain
- Jungle Cruise
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- The Haunted Mansion
- It’s a Small World
- Space Mountain
Hollywood Studios Rides
- Tower of Terror
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- Star Wars: Millennium Falcon
- Rock ‘n’ Roll Coaster
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Disney World Dining: Quick Service and Reservations
Disney World offers a variety of dining options during your hotel stay and at the theme parks. Some are quick service while others are sit-down service and require a reservation. Reservations can be made up to 60 days in advance, and are sure to book up. I’ve listed my favorite restaurants, and one’s I’m still dying to try, below.
Recommended Quick Service Restaurants
Magic Kingdom
- Storybook Treats – Themed ice cream (like The Snow White Cone pictured above)
- Cheshire Café – Alice in Wonderland themed
- Aloha Isle – DOLE Whip treats
- Gaston’s Tavern – Treats & beverages
- Main Street Bakery – Disney themed treats
Hollywood Studios
- Woody’s Lunch Box – Toy Story themed
- Ronto Roasters – Star Wars themed
- Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo – Star Wars themed
- ABC Commissary – American cuisine
Epcot
- La Cantina de San Angel – Mexican cuisine
- Joy of Tea – Egg rolls & tea
- Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe – Norwegian treats
- Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie – French treats
Animal Kingdom
- Tamu Tamu Refreshments – DOLE Whip treats
- Trilo-Bites – American cuisine
- Anandapur Ice Cream Truck
Recommended Sit-down Restaurants
Magic Kingdom
- Cinderella’s Royal Table – Character dining (subject to COVID)
- Be Our Guest – Beauty and the Beast themed
- Tony’s Town Square Restaurant – Basic Italian food
Hollywood Studios
- Hollywood & Vine – Character dining (subject to COVID)
- Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Good Italian food
- Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant – 50’s-style drive-in “theater”
Epcot
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – Character dining (subject to COVID)
- San Angel Inn Restaurante – Mexican cuisine with an awesome interior
- Coral Reef Restaurant – dining next to an inside, living coral reef
Animal Kingdom
- Tusker House Restaurant – Character dining (subject to COVID)
- Yak & Yeti Restaurant – Pan-Asian cuisine
A Disney trip is magical. I hope this Disney World travel guide gave insight on how to plan your vacation! Please feel free to reach out with any additional questions.
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