23 Disney World Hacks to Make Your Vacation Better

Let’s face it, a vacation to Disney is anything but simple. When it comes to Disney Vacation Planning, you practically need a toolkit. From which restaurants to book, to which resort to choose, to which rides in which park are best, the answers are many. We’ve broken these bigger tasks down in our Disney Vacation Bucket Lists posts before. But what about the Disney Vacation Hacks you need to know that will actually make your Disney vacation better? Believe it or not, a Disney Vacation is more than just a checklist. Make sure you read up on these Pro Tips and Tricks so you can get the most out of your vacation.

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First things first. Before you tackle this Disney Pro list of hacks here are a few things to do first to make sure you’re on track.

Download the My Disney Experience App on your phone.
Read through the 12 steps of Planning a Disney Vacation.
Double-check where you are on the Disney Timeline for deadlines.

Contents

1 Take Advantage of Early Theme Park Entry
2 Bring the Ponchos!
3 Head for the Indoor Rides When it Rains
4 Get the Free Dining Plan Offer
5 Book your Trip with a Disney Certified Vacation Planner
6 Take Advantage of Walking Paths
7 End Your Day at Disney Springs
8 Take the Resort Monorail Instead
9 Have a Ride Strategy
10 Avoid the Crowds and Visit the Boardwalk
11 Stay Until the Kiss Goodnight to Avoid the Bus Lines
12 Mobile Order Your Food
13 Make your Disney Dining Reservations at 60 Days Out
14 Get a Cheaper Disney Room Through a Third Party
15 Ship Excess Luggage Ahead of Time
16 Ask the Disney Photopass Photographer to Take a Picture with Your Phone
17 Get the Free Souvenirs at Disney World
18 Grab a Free Cup of Soda at Club Cool
19 Order Last Minute Items from Amazon
20 Bring a Water Bottle
21 Visit the Resorts
22 Time your Disney Christmas Trip Right
23 Head to Port Orleans to Try the Beignets

Take Advantage of Early Theme Park Entry

Early Theme Park Entry is a perk for Disney Resort Guests and we highly recommend you take them up on the offer. Resort guests can arrive 30 minutes earlier than non-resort guests and have the best chance of getting on favorite rides. See our best days for each park to help with your planning.

Bring the Ponchos!

If you’re heading to Florida, at one point it will RAIN! Instead of paying 10-12 bucks for a Disney poncho, grab a pack of ponchos on amazon ahead of time. And keep them in your day bag the entire trip. There is always a little storm when you least expect it.

Head for the Indoor Rides When it Rains

Is it raining at Walt Disney World? Head to Hollywood Studios. With more indoor experiences and connected gift shops, you have a better chance of staying out of the rain. Try Muppets 3D Theater, Star Tours, and Frozen Sing-Along Shows. Meet and Greets inside the Star Wars Launch Bay and Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run are also indoors. Check out the Best Rides in Each Park for When it’s Raining at Disney World.

Get the Free Dining Plan Offer

Trying to find the cheapest way to get to Disney? If you’re lured by the idea of the Free Dining Plan Offer, be sure to make sure Disney isn’t offering room discounts at the same time. When rooms are discounted at 25-30% depending on the hotel, the room discount may be better than the dining offer. Check the math before booking.

Book your Trip with a Disney Certified Vacation Planner

Book with a travel agent. Yes! You read that right. If you’re new to Disney planning or feel overwhelmed by all the variables involved consider an authorized Disney Vacation Planner. They are FREE and will catch every deal, and every offer, talk you through restaurant and dining reservations and make the process easier.

Take Advantage of Walking Paths

One of the best ways to avoid the crowds on the buses and make the most of your time is to combine Hollywood Studios and Epcot into one day. These two parks are connected via the Disney Boardwalk and a short walkway. This gives you the chance to bypass the waiting and get right into the parks. Bonus points if you choose to stay at any of the Disney Boardwalk Resorts, then you can be close to both parks.

End Your Day at Disney Springs

Want to head to Disney Springs from the parks? Since buses to Disney Springs don’t run until 4 pm, you can take the bus to Saratoga Springs and depart at the Congress Park stop. From here it’s a 5-minute walk down the path to Disney Springs. Perfect if you’re hoping to add some shopping to your Disney day.

Take the Resort Monorail Instead

Are you at the Ticket and Transportation Center staring down a REALLY LONG LINE at the Magic Kingdom Monorail? Hop over to the Resort Monorail instead. Yes- it takes you to 3 monorail resorts, but Magic Kingdom is the 3rd stop and you can hop off there without fighting the crowds.

Have a Ride Strategy

Want to get on the BEST Rides? Make sure you have the My Disney Experience App loaded on your phone. This gives you the option to use the Disney Genie Service. Disney Lightning Lane passes are available for certain rides and can be purchased. You can also have a Rope Drop Strategy for the busiest rides. Such as Frozen Ever After in Epcot, Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom, Snow Whites Mine Train in Magic Kingdom and Star Tours, and Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios. Check out the Best Rides at Walt Disney World.

polkadotsandpixiedust.com mine train at disney

Avoid the Crowds and Visit the Boardwalk

Need a break from too much Disney? Head to the Disney Boardwalk. Accessible from the back of Epcot through the International Gateway, this area includes resorts, beaches, and restaurants. Complete with street performers, character dining, and movies on the lawn in the evenings. Check out our quick guide to the Disney Boardwalk for more free and fun ideas.

Stay Until the Kiss Goodnight to Avoid the Bus Lines

If you’ve ever been to Magic Kingdom you know that everyone leaves the parks right after the fireworks show. To avoid spending the better part of your evening standing in the bus line, you can instead stay a little bit later and watch Kiss Goodnight. This goodnight wish twinkles on Cinderella’s Castle for 2 minutes, repeating every 30 minutes after the park closes. This allows the last of the guest’s something to see on their way out and the bliss of an almost empty park at the end of the day.

Mobile Order Your Food

Did you know you can mobile order your food at Walt Disney World? Why wait in that lunch line when a quick 10-minute order via the My Disney Experience App will have your food waiting on the counter in no time? Now available at many Disney quick-service restaurants across the parks.

Make your Disney Dining Reservations at 60 Days Out

Dining reservations open up 60 days before your vacation. But which restaurants really require an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR)? Here’s the lineup of the top 10 most booked restaurants at Walt Disney World. California Grill, Ohana, Victoria and Alberts, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Narcoossee’s, and Artist Point. Check out our best tips for Making Disney Dining Reservations.

Get a Cheaper Disney Room Through a Third Party

Are you a hotels.com loyalty member? You can book Disney Resort hotels at cheap rates and still earn points for your free night. Afterward, just call Walt Disney World Guest Services and have them connect your hotels.com reservation to your Disney account. It’s one of the best ways to get a cheaper hotel at Disney World, and earn loyalty points through your favorite sites at the same time!

Ship Excess Luggage Ahead of Time

Don’t believe in traveling light? Or can’t stomach the high baggage fees on the airline? If you’re heading to Disney but plan on taking tons of luggage, or groceries, or birthday gifts, or whatever, think about sending them to the resort ahead of time. Guests can send packages up to two weeks in advance to their Disney resort for a 5 dollar fee.

Ask the Disney Photopass Photographer to Take a Picture with Your Phone

Want great photos but don’t want to pay for the Memory Maker package? Photographers are stationed throughout the park and will take a pic with your own camera or phone. And then one you’ll see in the app as well. That way you can later purchase the best pics if you want, while still having pretty great pics on your own devices.

Need better Fireworks pictures? Instead of fighting with the crowds in front of the castle, head behind the castle towards Be Our Guest restaurant. From here, you get a gorgeous, overlooked view without the crowds. You won’t be able to see the projections on the castle, but you can hear the music and see the fireworks just the same. Check out all our Disney Photography Tips!

Get the Free Souvenirs at Disney World

There are so many things you can get for FREE at Disney World. From pixie dust to Mickey straws. One of our favorite free souvenirs is a Celebration Button. Good for any celebration, these buttons can sometimes get you extra special perks. Honeymooners and birthday guests sometimes get free desserts, room upgrades, and extra special treatment. Check out all our favorite Disney Free Souvenirs.

Grab a Free Cup of Soda at Club Cool

Club Cool in Epcot’s World Celebration area has a bit of a cult following! With international colas, available for free, you can pop in and try a few beverages to hold you over until your next drink stop. Try the Beverly! It’s a fan favorite.

Order Last Minute Items from Amazon

Stuck at Disney and need something fast? Order through Amazon Prime for medicines, HDMI cords, or anything you can’t get in the Disney Gift Shops.

Bring a Water Bottle

Bring a water bottle to the parks every day. This will help you fend off dehydration and crankiness. Plus is Eco-Friendly since you won’t need the plastic cups of water, or bottled water to get your H2O fix. Check out all our tips on how to have an Eco-Friendly Disney Vacation.

Visit the Resorts

Want to see the wildlife, but chose not to spring for an Animal Kingdom ticket? Head to Animal Kingdom Lodge. With tons of activities, fun, African culture, great restaurants, and wildlife roaming the savanna, an Animal Kingdom Lodge day help you get away from the crowds for some much-needed downtime.

Time your Disney Christmas Trip Right

Can’t really justify the cost of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party but have it on your bucket list? You can enjoy almost all the party perks the week of Christmas at Walt Disney World, including seeing the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Just be prepared for the crowds; this is the busiest week of the whole year.

Head to Port Orleans to Try the Beignets

Heard about the Beignets at Disney but not sure where to get them. Head over to Port Orleans Resort ( French Quarter or Riverside) to try this special treat. The Hack? You don’t even need to be at a Disney resort. Just grab the ferry from Disney Springs to the resorts, and grab it back to Disney Springs when you’re done. Parking at Disney Springs is free, so it’s a win-win.

Disney Vacation Hacks To Make Your Trip More Magical

While this is not your typical 101 Disney hacks list, there’s enough on here to keep you busy and hopefully get you the best, most budget-friendly, and least stressful vacation possible. Let us know your favorite Disney Hacks and we’ll add them to the list!

Rochelle Mariah

Co-Founder and Director at Polka Dot Pixie Co LLC | Website | + posts

Rochelle Mariah is a writer, designer and photographer with an MLIS in Information Science and a B.S. in Arch and Design. Determined to make Planning a DIY Disney Vacation easier she makes lots of lists and drinks lots of coffee. When not designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's watching old movies and planning the holidays. She has been traveling to Disney destinations since 2010.