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{"id":8938,"date":"2020-08-13T13:54:23","date_gmt":"2020-08-13T13:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/?p=8938"},"modified":"2023-04-19T00:17:07","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T00:17:07","slug":"101-disney-world-tips-tricks-hacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/have-kids-will-travel.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/13\/101-disney-world-tips-tricks-hacks\/","title":{"rendered":"101 Helpful Disney World Tips, Tricks, & Hacks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Some of these Disney World tips, tricks, and hacks you may have heard of and some maybe you didn’t already know. Hopefully, this will help with your Disney trip planning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

E<\/i><\/b><\/span>dited 12\/2021 to Update on New Disney World Changes. For Example Genie+ instead of Fastpass+<\/em>. Disney is changing every day so please check their website or call to double-check the updated policies. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Learn the locations of the First Aid Stations and Guest Service Areas.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is especially helpful if you have small children. If you have a medical issue or injury (even need meds for a headache) – head to the nearest First Aid Station<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. Of course, if it is an emergency – CALL 911. Guest Services<\/a><\/em><\/strong> offer a variety of amenities like nursing and changing areas, sinks, microwaves, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Get discounted Disney Gift Cards. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The best places to get discounted Disney gift cards are Target, Costco, and BJ’s Wholesale. You can use these to pay for your trip or save them to buy snacks and souvenirs in the parks. Also, if you use credit cards, Disney offers one that will give you a $300 credit on your first statement and reward dollars on each statement (based on purchases, always read the fine print – I personally have the Disney Chase credit card.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3.  You Can Pick a Slow or Fast Teacup at Magic Kingdom. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Disney cast members (employees) claim that the orange and purple teacups spin the fastest at the Teacup\/Alice and Wonderland Ride. If you have the NEED FOR SPEED, these are the teacups for you. I personally don’t like to get dizzy and feel sick after a ride, so I like the slower teacups, so I snag the ones with the heart designs. These are supposed to spin slower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The photo above: If you see it and want it, you better get it.<\/strong> See #4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. If you see it and want it, you better get it.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don’t assume that you’ll see that special souvenir somewhere else or that every Disney gift shop is the same (sometimes that is true, we wanted purple Minnie Ears and looked everywhere, but it seemed that we found the same ears at every gift shop. But, then we noticed that some had specialty-themed ears that you could only get at that one store). You can even ask to have the souvenir sent to your room (if staying on-property it is sent within 48 hours) or you can always send your merch to the front gate and you can pick it up on your way out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. The best times to avoid super long lines are right after rope drop, during parades, and during fireworks.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don’t want to pay the individual ride fee, but still want to ride Frozen Ever After (or Slinky Dog Dash or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train)? Don’t want to wait in line for 1-3 hours? Your best bet in finding shorter lines is while there is a parade or fireworks going on or as soon as the park opens (rope drop). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Have a plan, a backup plan, and be prepared to throw them both in the garbage.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, plan your day and Dining reservations ASAP. This will make your visit run smoothly. BUT…be prepared for bad weather, rides to break down (for a few hours or for the rest of the day!), kids to lose their minds from exhaustion, etc. So, maybe you spend 40 minutes on the People Mover so the kids can nap instead of riding Space Mountain a second time. Or, you do something indoors because it’s raining instead of standing in line to meet a certain Princess. It’s okay…just make the best of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. A stay at a Disney Resort includes a parking pass for every Disney Park. <\/strong>If waiting for and sitting on crowded buses (or boat, Skyliner, or Monorail) is not your thing – you can park your own vehicle at the parks. And, it’s free if you are staying at a Disney World Resort. (Honestly, we enjoy Disney transportation, but they can get crowded and you find yourself next to the occasional crying\/barfing child)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8.<\/strong> Get to the parks early.<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I know…I know…you’re on vacation and want to sleep late. BUT… The crowds only grow as the day wears on and the lines to rides get longer and longer. On one trip, we arrived at the Magic Kingdom Park early and rode 6 rides by 10:00 a.m. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. You can rent strollers.<\/strong> If you have small children, a stroller is a must-have for a Disney trip. If you are flying into Orlando, you can actually rent a stroller from companies such as Kingdom Strollers<\/a><\/em><\/strong>. You can pick up your stroller at their location or they will even deliver the stroller to your hotel!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. You can watch the fireworks without being in the parks.<\/strong> Some great viewing spots include The Ticket & Transportation Center (Magic Kingdom fireworks), Polynesian Resort (MK fireworks), Yacht & Beach Club (Epcot fireworks), and Boardwalk (Epcot fireworks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom – a tough reservation to snag so book early. P.S. As of March 2022, masks are optional if you are vaccinated<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

11. Make restaurant reservations ASAP. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to eat at one of Disney’s fancier restaurants or a character meal, you will need to make an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR). It is possible to get a last-minute reservation at some restaurants (SEE #27), but the best guarantee of reserving a spot is to make your reservation early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Lightning Lane (on Genie+) times are (semi) flexible. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You do have a whole hour to use your Lightning Lane. Running late? Got to your ride a little early? You can board your ride up to 5 minutes ahead of time or within 15 minutes after the ride time. It’s really up to the cast member manning the Lightning Lane ride (and how busy they are). The key is to BE NICE to the cast member (which we should always do anyway). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Bring a portable phone charger. <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You will use your phone a lot using the My Disney Experience APP and taking photos. The new Genie+ system will DRAIN your battery even more than the previous APP version. You can buy an inexpensive portable charger on Amazon or buy Fuel Rods at Disney World.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Use a<\/strong> crowd calendar<\/em><\/strong> <\/a>when planning your trip. <\/strong>You can’t always avoid crowds at Disney World, but using a crowd calendar will show you which parks have the least amount of people on certain days of your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Above photo: If you are on the dining plan, Starbucks drinks count as one credit.<\/strong> See#15<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

15. If you are on the dining plan, Starbucks drinks count as one credit. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

And, it doesn’t matter what size coffee drink you choose. So, you might want to get the LARGEST size available! Currently, 02\/2022, the dining plan isn’t available. But, look for announcements since Disney is changing every day<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16.<\/strong> Meet Pluto & Goofy and save $$$ by having a character breakfast near Disney Springs. <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Wyndham Lake Buena Vista<\/em> is located near Disney Springs. Each Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, this hotel hosts a Disney character breakfast in their Lakeview Restaurant. You can meet Goofy and Pluto at this breakfast. The meal and experience are not rushed and is very low-key. The kiddos will get to spend a generous amount of time with Goofy & Pluto and can get autographs and photos. The breakfast is from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The breakfast is an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet with Mickey Waffles. It is 26.95 for Adults and $12.95 for Kids. In comparison, the Buffet Breakfast at Akerhaus is $45+ per adult and $28+ for kids. Cinderella’s Breakfast Buffet is $60+ for adults and $35+ for kids. So this character meal at Wyndham is significantly less expensive (and it’s perfect for your departure day or day off from the parks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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17. You can get a free wake-up call each morning from either Mickey Mouse or Stitch on the Disney resort hotel phone. <\/strong>The kiddos will love it and it can serve as your alarm for the day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18. PhotoPass Cast Members will take (free!) photos of you with your camera.<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Don’t even worry about asking! Just make sure your camera settings are dialed in before handing them the camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19.<\/strong> Refresh\/Reset the My Disney Experience APP right before entering the parks (and honestly, refresh the APP all day as you use it).<\/strong> This will help you keep your app in real-time and it will help with notifications and Lightning Lane availability on Genie\/Genie+. BONUS:<\/strong> Also, if 2+ family members are trying to get Lightning Lanes at 7:00 a.m. (when they become available daily) -get away from each other! Don’t ask me why but it’s harder to get things to show up and work on the APP if you are sitting next to each other while trying to book LL’s. Trust me, we learned this the hard way! Either just let one person book the LL’s or one family member step outside of the room while you both try. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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20. Lightning Lane reservations can be made while in another Lightning Lane <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Normally, you make a Lightning Lane Reservation (skipping to the front of the line in Genie+ for $15 per person\/per day). But, you can make a Lightning Lane reservation any time you enter the Lightning Lane line<\/em><\/strong>. This ensures that you don\u2019t need to wait another 120 minutes to make a new reservation if your Lightning Lane reservation is sooner than that. For, example, let’s say, you make your first Lightning Lane for Tower of Terror at 10:00 a.m. As soon as you get in the Lightning Lane for the Tower of Terror ride, you can get on your APP and make another Lightning Lane for, let’s say, Rock and Roller Coaster, at 12:00. Then, when you’re in line for Rock N Roller Coaster, check the APP and get another LL for Slinky Dog Dash at 2:00 p.m. THEN, when you’re in line for Slinky Dog Dash, check the App, make another LL….. IMPORTANT: Pick the earliest LL you can get. If you pick an LL for Toy Story Mania for 5:00 p.m. and it’s only 9:00 in the morning, you can’t pick another LL until after 5:00 which seems like a waste of your day and $15\/Genie#. Pick an earlier time (even if it’s a different ride), and keep adding on LL’s every 2 hours. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

21.<\/strong> If you are celebrating a special occasion, you can get a free celebration button.<\/strong> Whether your family is celebrating your first Disney visit, a birthday, or an anniversary, you can get a free button from your Disney hotel or at Guest Services in the parks. Sometimes, this alerts cast members to your celebration and may open up some other perks and great conversations. My daughter and SIL (on their honeymoon) got free cupcakes at Beaches & Cream, Mickey-shaped Grey Stuff, and a card from the Beast at Be Our Guest. They also got lots of good wishes and congratulations throughout the whole trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

22. Get on rides more quickly by taking advantage of single-ride lines.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t have a Genie+ (or don’t want to pay for the Individual ride option $7-$15 per person\/per ride for premium\/popular rides) or want to ride again, you might want to use the single ride option. You must be at least 7 years old and you will be riding with strangers. We have done this with our 8 & 10-year-olds with no problem. We all just met up at the exit of the ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rides that offer single-rider lines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n