Disney is the most magical place on earth right?!?! While we know many who would either agree or disagree with this statement, one thing most of us can agree on is that a Disney vacation can be stressful. Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely love Walt Disney World and return every year but there have been times when we return home only to feel like we’ve been run over by a semi-truck. Don’t let that be you. Here are 10 tips that will make a Less Stressful Disney Vacation a whole lot more magical.
Contents
- 1 Use an Authorized Disney Travel Planner
- 2 Grab a Disney Park Map
- 3 Give Everyone A Chance To Choose One Thing
- 4 Make a Plan the Night Before
- 5 Get strategic about your Disney Trip
- 6 Make the most of your Ride Strategy
- 7 Don’t eat meals at peak times
- 8 Take a break from the parks
- 9 Figure our Transportation ahead of time
- 10 Be Patient
- 11 Don’t let the rain scare you away
- 12 Take Advantage of the Disney Bounce Back Offers!
Use an Authorized Disney Travel Planner
When you are paying for a Disney Vacation, you’re paying for a Disney Travel Planner. So why not use one? The cost of a Disney Travel Planner is included in the cost of your Disney trip. That’s how they make their money. If you choose not to use one, Disney just keeps that extra money. And with Disney being so confusing to plan these days, a Disney Travel Planner can help take some of the stress off before you even start your vacation. They can often help with things like Park Day Planning, Dining Reservations, Transportation to and from the airport and more.
They can also help guide you if something does go wrong while on you’re vacation.
Grab a Disney Park Map
This may seem like a no-brainer. Trust us, it’s not. We’ve seen many families trudge past the entrance without thinking twice about taking a map, only to walk back and get one. We’ve done the same thing. So just get one. We know what you’re thinking. This is the 21st century, you’ve downloaded my Disney experience app, what do you need one of those old-fashioned maps for?!? Well first, let’s be real. Sometimes the app just doesn’t work. Actually, it doesn’t work a lot. Also stressful.
So, if you’re looking for a less stressful Disney vacation, grab the map. Sometimes there are so many people trying to use their phones that your service is just downright too slow. And hey, it’s a free souvenir! Having a map will give you important information at your fingertips like showtimes, parade times, character meets, and of course a general layout of the park. Whether you are trying to attend or avoid the parade, knowing when and where it will be is important as it changes the entire flow of traffic and can cause some serious delays.
Give Everyone A Chance To Choose One Thing
Let’s face it whether you’re traveling with 2 people or 6 people or more, it’s important to share. There is nothing worse than arriving back home and having to listen to people say ” but I didn’t get to do anything I wanted to do!” Really, are you serious?
Walt Disney World is HUGE. With 4 theme parks, 2 waterparks, Disney Springs, and over 25 resort hotels, Walt Disney World is over 25,000 acres. We think the one thing that people fail at while vacationing there, us included, is trying to see and do too much, which can lead to frustration and crankiness, both for little ones and adults. We suggest letting each person in your party pick one must-do activity for the day and focus on doing that, rather than trying to see how much you can squeeze in. This makes for a less stressful Disney vacation.
Do you simply have to catch a photo of your little ones on the dumbo ride? Does your princess absolutely have to meet Elsa? Is your little man just dying to have his picture taken with Baymax? Do you really want a fancy dinner at the Grand Floridian? Identify, ahead of time, the one most important thing to each person in your group and focus on that. Everyone will be happy that they got to do what they wanted and it will take the pressure off trying to get everything in. Cause it’s not gonna happen anyway. And speaking of planning…..
Make a Plan the Night Before
This bullet point is assuming you’ve made the big item plans months ahead of time. You’ve got a Ride Strategy in mind, Advanced Dining Reservations booked. Well keep in mind, again, Walt Disney World is huge and there is so much to see and do outside of rides and meals that it can be easy to get into the park and realize there are 500 more things you wanted to do than you realize. By planning out a tentative route for the day, you can save on some serious foot traffic. Retracing your footsteps all day will only exhaust you and become, well, downright obnoxious.
The first time we went to Walt Disney World, we slept better than maybe we have our entire lives. While that could be attributed to the wonderfully comfortable beds there, I really think it was mostly because I was in a state of complete exhaustion. Don’t be like me. Have a plan, have a less stressful Disney vacation. Check out the best stuff to do at each park and the 10 things not to miss posts. If you read nothing else these two posts will 1) breakdown what you can do and 2) set you up to choose your priorities ahead of time.
Get strategic about your Disney Trip
Be smarter. This goes hand in hand with planning the night before. Why struggle along with everyone else?
- Plan to arrive early in the day, as early as 730 or 8 am if you can or later in the day. Walt Disney World generally sees a peak in attendance during the late morning and early afternoon. Arriving early at Magic Kingdom, for example, will allow you to enjoy some of the high-demand rides, like Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise, without the long wait times.
- Don’t waste a Lightning Lane Pass on rides anytime before 11:00 am, most likely your wait time will be short enough and you won’t need it.
- Eat meals just before or after regular meal times so you’re not tackling crowds or lines
- Check out the best days for each park. Nothing is worse than realizing you’re at Epcot on a Saturday and so is the rest of Florida.
- Ride the rides during the parades( which usually occur twice a day) if you’re not interested in watching them for shorter lines and the same can be said for the fireworks.
Make the most of your Ride Strategy
To have a less stressful Disney vacation you need to get the minuscule things out of the way. Plan which park you will be in on which days. This will help you plan your rides that are must-do in each park.
- Make a quick list of the rides you most want to ride in Each Park.
- Decide which rides you may have to wake up early for and have a Rope Drop Strategy planned.
- Which rides in each park may need to have a Lightning Lane Pass purchased?
- Rides with Virtual Queue Boarding Passes will have to be accessed the day you visit and can be reserved through the My Disney Experience App.
- Choose rides that you can plan to wait in a standby line, preferably during meal times when lines are lower.
Don’t eat meals at peak times
We alluded to this before. Planning to eat “off-peak” has several benefits. If you’re trying to ride a lot of rides riding while everyone else is eating can save some of that dreaded wait time in line. Lines tend to be shorter during traditional meal periods, so if you can eat an early or late lunch or dinner, you will have the benefit that everyone else will be eating while you’re enjoying the park.
Conversely, if you eat during off-peak times, especially if you’re eating at a counter service establishment, your line to wait for food will be shorter, there will be a wider selection of seating available and you will probably experience better service. You can also expedite the whole process by mobile ordering your food. Places like Columbia Harbor House in Magic Kingdom ( the longest lines ever) and Satuli Canteen in Animal Kingdom have mobile ordering. Take advantage of it!
Take a break from the parks
One of our favorite tips for a less stressful Disney vacation is to take a break from the parks. This doesn’t seem instinctual, does it? I think this is probably one of the best pieces of advice someone could have given me years ago. Take. A. Break. We have met countless families while at Walt Disney World, who, by the end of their trip are exhausted, their kids are exhausted….we have been those people. On one hand, I understand, you are paying a lot of money to be at Disney so why would you want to spend your time doing anything but visiting the parks?
On the other hand, Walt Disney World is so exciting, so overstimulating, so BIG, that you have to look at it like you also paid a lot of money to go on vacation, which means you also need some down time. Explore your resort, explore other resorts, spend time at the pool, have tea at the Grand Floridian, get a massage! Trap yourself on a small ferry from Disney Springs to Port Orleans Resort so you can get beignets at the food commissary there. There are many things to do outside of the parks, so take advantage of them and recharge. Your sanity will thank you later.
Figure our Transportation ahead of time
If you’re staying on Walt Disney World property and relying on them for transportation, its good to know that Disney offer many types of transportation, from buses to the monorail to boats. It’s important to always know how you will be getting from place to place and to also know that these transportation services are complimentary as part of your Disney experience ( all except the Minnie Van). That said, they are not guaranteed to arrive at any certain location at any certain time. You could wait for 20 minutes for a bus, or 60 minutes for a bus. The boat takes longer to get places. The monorail sometimes has a line and sometimes is too full to take on new passengers.
All these things will negatively affect your vacay if you’re not prepared. Know your transportation options. And if worse comes to worse and you have a dining reservation you can’t miss, call an Uber.
Keep in mind if you venture outside of the parks that transportation gets trickier. Planning on watching the fireworks while dining at Ohana? We highly recommend it, but we also recommend double checking when the monorail stops running back to Magic Kingdom that night. Heading over to Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge? Again, while we absolutely recommend that, make sure you have a clear idea of how you will get back to your resort. Eating breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table? Depending on your reservation time, buses may not yet be running. Check with the concierge at your resort and they can help you figure out your transportation. Trust us on this one.
Be Patient
We have to say this is a big one. And probably one that many people won’t bother telling you. But it’s very important. Being impatient at Disney World is basically like trying to fight your way out of quicksand. It’s pointless and gets you nowhere. At any point during your trip, there are thousands of other visitors on vacation. Just like you. They’re all trying to ride the rides, watch (or avoid) the parades, load the buses/monorails/boats, and have their picture taken in front of Cinderella castle. So plan to be patient, plan to wait for the next bus and plan on potentially having to skip some of the not-so-important things if you just don’t have the time. It will be ok.
Don’t let the rain scare you away
Welcome to Florida, it’s usually the rainy season. Luckily Disney knows this and they have you covered. Have your poncho ready and head to some of the indoor activities that can be had while there. The parks generally tend to empty out a little during the rain, so those who are able to stick it out will be rewarded with a much less crowded park when the rain has stopped. We have all the tips on how to survive rain at Disney here.
Take Advantage of the Disney Bounce Back Offers!
And a bonus tip for those who plan to return the following year…..plan ahead! If you’re planning a return trip to the most magical place on Earth the following year, book it before you check out if that’s a possibility. Disney only requires the standard $200 deposit when booking. And if something comes up, you have plenty of time to change dates or cancel. Disney sometimes offers bounce-back offers which can save you a lot of time and frustration waiting for Disney to announce a particular discount, especially if it’s a popular one like the free dining plan. Bouncebacks can usually be found in the Be Our Guest welcome folder in your room, and if you don’t have a bounceback offer, ask the concierge if they are currently offering any. The worst they can say is no, and there is no harm in asking.
How to Have a Less Stressful Disney Vacation
There you have it, all our ways so far of having a less stressful Disney vacation.
Melanie Renee is a photographer, writer, designer and mom. Visiting Disney destinations since 2010, she is also an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. When she's not creating her next coffee recipe, or designing apparel at Polka Dot Pixie Shop, she's seeking beautiful sunsets and planning her next trip .
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