45 Disney Tips for a Magical Vacation

By The Backseat View

Disney is constantly changing, and families come with different needs. We love visiting Disney, and everyone can use a few Tips and tricks for their Disney vacation.

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” Mary Poppins

Disney Tips

1. Disney planning is easier with a Disney Vacation Planner for your first trip or 10^th trip. They don’t charge for their services and you have a Facebook friend that books Disney Trips.

2. I keep updated with Disney changes on The Disney Food Blog or the WDW Prep School blog. These people visit Disney daily and focus on Disney’s changes.

Resorts

3. STAY IN DISNEY RESORTS so you can have Early Theme Park Entry benefits and Lightning Lanes reservations. You get into the park 30 minutes before the park opens. Transportation is so easy. Plus, I love never leaving the MAGIC!

4. In 2025, Disney World Resort guests will have a complimentary water park admission on check-in day.

5. Check out resort activities. We loved having s’mores around the campfire at night.

Lightning Lanes

6. Buy Disney Lightning Lane Passes. By paying for the faster lines, the average family saves 4 hours in line …worth every expensive dollar. If you are going at a slower season, without kids, and don’t care about the new rides, save money by rolling the dice with wait times.

7. Disney Resort guests can pre-book three Lightning Lanes Multi Pass Selections (older rides) per day and one Lightning Lane Single Pass (the newest rides) per day. Disney World resort guests get to make Lightning Lanes reservations up to seven days in advance.

8. Other guests (not on Disney Property) can make Lightning Lanes reservations three days in advance.

Virtual Queue

9. Know which rides have a virtual queue only. As of 2024, Guardians of the Galaxy and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure do not offer stand-by lines. The rides are on Lightning Lanes options, virtual queue, and Extended Evening Hours offer an after-p.m. queue.

10. On park visit days, Virtual Queue #1 opens from anywhere at 7 a.m. ET, and at 1 p.m., Virtual Queue #2 opens from inside the parks.

11. Do NOT use Disney WiFi during the crazy, anxiety-driven attempt to get a Virtual queue. It gets overloaded and slows down.

12. Be Familiar: Understand the virtual queue and Lightning Lanes processes BEFORE 7 am. Play with the app enough to know the drill. Download the Disney World app ahead of time.

13. Screenshot all the Lightning Lanes reservations in case your Magic Bands do not scan. A screenshot lets you ride instead of visiting customer service.

14. Know your kids and have a plan. While everyone is screaming Slinky Dog reservations, I have a Star Wars kid, so I’m going in that direction first. When I stack lightning lanes for Magic Kingdom, I start at 6 p.m. with Pirates of the Caribbean, the Dwarf Mine Cars, and Space Mountain.

Packing

15. I ordered the Disney shirts and Mickey Ears (Etsy) and planned the outfits months before leaving.

16. Outfits are out the night before a park day, so everyone moves fast in the morning. I use packing cubes. However, Sharpie-labeled zip-lock bags with each day’s outfit works.

17. I put their costumes in bags to match the characters we plan to meet that day. If his trip goal is to meet Peter Pan, I will dress him in line in his Peter Pan costume. There is no need to wear that Princess dress ALL DAY. Plastic Princess shoes are NOT AN OPTION for 8 miles of walking, so after the photos, those tennis shoes are back on her feet. I see crying little girls every trip over their feet hurting, rookie mom fail.

18. Buy a clip on Etsy to attach your Mickey Ears to the outside of your bag.

19. Everyone has two pairs of ALREADY comfortable tennis shoes and flip-flops for the pool. If you get caught in the rain, those shoes may not dry before dinner. On average, people walk eight miles a day.

20. Bring portable chargers like Fuel Rods to switch out in Disney. My battery dies two times a day from using the Disney app, entertaining for five hours in lines and photos.

21. I always have a small Mickey Backpack with my phone, battery charger, ponchos, Chapstick, travel sunscreen, hand sanitizer, a couple of band-aids, Tylenol, Advil, Zofran or Meclizine, a water bottle, and sunglasses. I always have $1 and $5 for the pressed penny machines. Small Disney backpacks are sold all over the parks because they can go on rides.

22. Ponchos (thin ones) because afternoon rain showers are common. If not, Disney has washers & dryers at all the resorts.

23. Travel Detergent and a stain remover stick. Sink laundry happens.

24. I always bring a Disney surprise for the first day. Pajamas, stuffed animals, and room decorations add magic to our trip.

Dining

25. Are Disney Dining Plans worth it? We pay as we go. I have kept up with the amount on two trips and came out cheaper this way. If Dining Plans are discounted in a promotion, then go ahead.

26. I prefer character lunches when possible. Breakfast can make you late for the park opening, and dinner can interrupt rest time. My favorite character meals are Chef Mickey’s with the five classic characters, Crystal Palace with Pooh, and the Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. I also love Be Our Guest, the Beauty & the Beast Castle.

27. Dining Alerts: If you didn’t get the dining option you wanted, sign up for dining alerts on the Disney app for when people cancel.

Mobile Ordering

28. Mobile Order is all but mandatory for quick-service restaurants. Use your My Disney Experience app, and it’s easy. You can also check table-service restaurants near you for walk-up availability on the app. I order an hour before pick up.

Kids Tips

29. For strollers, bring rain covers, attachable fans, and a small stroller sign to help identify your stroller from the other 100 strollers. Check Target for stroller lights to help you find your stroller more easily in the dark.

30. If your stroller bag is heavy, put ankle weights on the front to keep it from flipping backward the minute the kid gets up.

31. Autograph books for children. Don’t be the only child without one in the line. Taylor always wanted a book, but Dawson did not. I always had two books for when he changed his mind with the characters, making it fun. Retractable Sharpies are great.

32. A 5×7 picture mat for the characters to sign and then hang as a framed picture in their room. I used a book to keep it from getting damaged during the day.

Supplies

33. Instacart delivers to your resort room. Amazon, Publix, and Walmart also deliver to the resort rooms. All resorts, except deluxe, charge $5 for holding orders.

34. Walmart and Target near Disney have shirts, toys, and autographed books cheaper than in the parks. A new toy cuts down on wanting everything in the parks.

35. Budget for park toys, dresses, or balloons. Every ride ends in a gift shop. You can’t “buy it later” with Star Wars items only in Galaxy Edge. That specific Winnie the Pooh is only in the Magic Kingdom Pooh’s Ride gift shop. I will admit to buying the same Toy Story cup three times in one day. I’m paying 1K to be here today, so we aren’t crying over a $15 cup your brother broke and Dad lost. I tried the “pick one theme park item for the week,” he chose a $200 Darth Vader castle, so negotiate wisely.

Itinerary

36. We arrive at the parks at least 45 minutes to an hour before the gate opens. Early Theme Park Entry opens the park 30 minutes early. However, the gates open even earlier for pictures in front of the castle at Magic Kingdom.

37. Extended Evening Hours are mainly for DELUXE Resorts on select park dates from 10 pm to midnight.

38. I stop for the photo opportunities. Make the Memories! It’s why you came! I bought the Memory Maker.

39. I Love Special Events and think it’s worth the money for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

40. I can’t stress enough that tired people aren’t fun. You can’t do everything on one Disney trip, so REST. Know your kids. Mine will not survive a 14-hour day. Let’s be real for a minute: some Disney rides are not worth waiting hours. It’s going to flood at some point, and it’s eight miles of walking and about that many hours of waiting in line, so rest for better attitudes.

41. Have a plan. Know everyone’s top goals. Realize you will stand in line for half the day, so plan entertainment.

42. Typical Magic Kingdom Day- First, we hit our favorite 3-4 rides and grab an 11:15 am quick-serve lunch to eat in our parade seat. Then, watch the parade, enjoy a last ride, and return to the hotel by 2 pm for rest. Finally, we returned to the park around 6 pm with Lightning Lanes reservations before the fireworks.

43. Find a seat at least 30 minutes before the Magic Kingdom parade starts. I prefer Frontier Land on the shady side of the street. If it’s an event parade like Christmas or Halloween parties, I have that seat over an hour before parade time.

44. We plan two park days, a rest day, then two more park days.

45. Watch fireworks from the END OF MAINSTREET facing the castle. You can see and catch the first bus back to the resort.

“All children, except one, grow up”

Peter Pan says it best, “all children grow up,” so TAKE THE TRIP FOR YOU!

We argued over taking our son at two years old, as he was not old enough to remember. I treasure the memories of him running into Pooh’s arms, waving to the children in “It’s a Small World,” and loving EVERYTHING Disney. We took the boys almost yearly, and I treasure every memory, from the Peter Pan to the Star Wars Jedi costumes.

I loved every minute of them Growing up Disney Style!

“Happiness is the richest thing we will ever own.” Donald Duck

Thanks for reading my 45 Disney Tips for a Magical Vacation. Don’t miss my guides on Disney Resorts, Inside Guide to Disney Dining, and Ultimate Guide to Disney Itinerary Planning.