Over the past couple of years, I’ve received several emails and DM’s asking for advice and tips on getting the most out of your Walt Disney World vacation; whether with or without kids. Readers have asked if they should use the Magical Express or take a taxi from the airport, which hotels we love, etc. Today, I’m sharing some of my tips, tricks and the special activities that we love to take part in when we’re visiting the WDW. I’m not covering every aspect of booking your trip or selecting tickets but more outlining some of the extra services and activities that we utilize, some that are free and others with an additional cost. To start, you can also check out my previous Walt Disney World Vacation posts and feature about my favorite Snacks at WDW.
DISNEY’S MAGICAL EXPRESS
If you’re flying in to the Orlando Airport (MCO); whether from out of state or within Florida and staying at a WDW resort hotel, take advantage of this big money saving bus service. It’s FREE! To find the Magical Express busses, head to SIDE B of the terminal and then down to Level 1 Ground Transportation. Follow the signs and have your Magic Bands ready as you will use them to check-in for the busses. Not to worry, if don’t have them on you, they can look up your reservations in their computers. One of the few downsides of staying at The Dolphin or Swan Hotels, which we LOVE is that you can’t use the Magical Express. Instead you have to take a taxi which take advantage of all of the tourists headed to WDW and upcharge the rate to about $70 to a Disney area hotel. (Rip-off!) When returning to the airport we take an uber which will be about $20-$30 cheaper than the taxi depending on traffic but uber isn’t allowed to pick up at the aiport. When Disney is offering a special rate at The Boardwalk Hotel, we book that instead of the Swan/Dolphin. The money we save by taking the free bus to and from the airport cuts back on the price difference and allows us the special treat of staying at our favorite WDW hotel. The Swan/Dophin provides almost all of the other WDW Hotel perks such as free transportation to the parks, and making FP+ 60 days in advance. It’s also an amazing location, walking distance to the back entrance of Epcot (Right next to FRANCE!) or quick boat ride to Hollywood Studio’s.
To find out more about this service including how to handle checked luggage and your airport return, read HERE
COST: FREE
**Magic Bands are free when staying at a WDW Resort and will be mailed to you in advance. (Don’t forget to order them when you book your room, they won’t arrive automatically) When staying at other hotels, you need to purchase the bands online or at the Parks. You’ll use these to enter the parks, use Fastpass+, pay for food and shopping at the parks (only when staying at WDW resort) and playing the Sorcerer game.
FASTPASS +
Having been to WDW more times than I can count, we don’t feel the need to ride every single ride on every trip and that helps cut back on how much time we spend in lines. My FastPass+ strategy is to make sure we have them set up for our absolute favorite rides that are known to have the longest lines. When you stay at a WDW resort, you can sign up for your FastPass+ 60 days in advance, whereas not staying in a hotel you can only sign up 30 days in advance. Such an amazing perk of staying at a Disney hotel.
Try to book your FP+ as close together as you can and for the earlier part of the day. See the image below with my upcoming FP+ schedule for the Magic Kingdom. This will gives you the afternoon to sign up for new FP+. To start, you are only allowed to sign up for 3 FP+. As soon as you scan yourself into the 3rd ride, you can immediately go back into the APP and schedule your next FP+ reservation as you’re going through the current line. From that point on you can only schedule 1 FP+ at a time and always subject to availability.
TIP for when to use your 1st FP: If your first FP+ is for 9am-10am slot, then don’t get on the ride until about 9:50am. Spend time before that either eating breakfast, enjoying a semi-quiet park or riding other rides while the lines are small. If you get on the ride at 9am then you will have at least another hour before your next FP. This way you can also go straight from the 1st ride to your 2nd FP+ ride. (given your 2nd FP+ is right after the 1st)
The below isn’t the entire list of our favorite rides at each park but rather our favorite rides to FastPass by park:
Magic Kingdom: Peter Pan, Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion are our must-rides that generally have long long lines. Our next group of favorites that we like to pick up FP for is Pirates of the Caribbean, Space and Thunder Mountain, and It’s a Small World. Traveling with kids, you may want to FP+ The Jungle Cruise, Winnie The Pooh, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Dumbo as those tend to have longer lines. I’ll be honest, we’ve been on the SEVEN DWARFS MINE TRAIN a couple of times and don’t really need to again unless we happen upon a FP opening after we’ve already been on our favorites. The ride is over so quickly and not nearly as long of a roller coaster as the park’s original coasters, SPACE MOUNTAIN, THUNDER MOUNTAIN or even SPLASH MOUNTAIN. I personally do not think its worth waiting in such a long line for and can’t believe some guests wait more than 2 hours.
Epcot: Soarin’ with the 9am-10am slot but we go right at the end. I always start my day at Epcot with a quiet breakfast at the France Pavilion, Next we’ll FP Spaceship Earth and if there is time to spare in between we do the other attractions at the Living Land. Visiting with kids, then you’ll definitely want to prioritize the Frozen ride in Norway and Turtle Talk with Crush.
Hollywood Studios: Slinky Dog Dash Coaster or Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror are our usual go-to’s. Rock ‘N Roll Roller Coaster is also a top pick but I personally don’t like to go upside down on coasters so we skip that one.
Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris (morning is best to see more animals), Na’vi River Journey or Flight of Passage and Kali River Rapids. You can only select a Fastpass+ for 1 of the 2 Pandora rides at a time, the best option is to first try for Flight of Passage as its usually a much longer line than Na’vi River Journey (and that lines moves much faster). TIP: Start your morning at Animal Kingdom and arrive right when the park opens. From there head to Na’vi River Journey without a FP before the line gets too long. Next head to your first FP+ on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Get some snacks + then back to Pandora for your Flight of Passage FP + or Kali River Rapids (be warned, you can get soaked). We’re also suckers for It’s tough to be a bug.
*Note for FP+ with Kids: If the kids in your group would love to meet, get photos and autographs from Mickey + Minnie or the princesses then you may want to also FP+ the Character Meet ‘n Greets. Especially important at MK and HS as these lines tend to get pretty long.
*If people in your group whether kids or adults, are really excited about the evening night shows, choosing a Fastpass+ for one of those will grant you a spot in a special area with a great view. This will however prevent you from selecting many FP during the day as you will need to book this one in advance. It’s nice for a special occasion like celebrating a birthday or a child’s first trip, etc.
COST: FREE
This image shows my Fastpass selections for our upcoming trip in July. We will hop on Peter Pan around 10am, then Haunted Mansion right after. From there we will likely ride It’s a Small World before heading over to Splash Mountain. As soon as I scan my band at Splash Mountain, I’ll be on the app making our next selections.
*Note this is based on our plan to arrive at the park around 8am for ‘Extra Magic Hours’ and using the first 2 hours to hop on a few rides while the lines are still short. If I were arriving at standard opening time of 9am then I would start my FP+ an hour later.
SORCERERS OF THE MAGIC KINGDOM
A few years ago I started noticing people around the Magic Kingdom, stopping to play a game with cards that would unlock secret areas in boutiques, outside of rides, and other areas of the park. I was jealous and needed to find out what they were doing and how! Turns out, it’s the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, a free game that you can play for as little or as long as you want while you’re at the park. To start, stop into the firehouse at the front of Main Street to pick up a set of playing cards and receive a tutorial. They will give you a map and instruct you where to start your first mission. Use your magic band to activate the game at each station (Touch the keyhole seen at the bottom of the below photo) Each day you enter the park, you can pick up additional cards with the goal of collecting the entire set. The cards showcase characters and have different spell and shield powers to fight the bad guys like Ursula and Mufasa. If you end up with any duplicates, you can trade them with a castmember stationed outside the firehouse or with other players around the park. There are no time limits and you can stop and restart each mission at your convenience throughout the day. If you are using the same magic band, the game is synced so you can also resume on different days. If you have a different band, then you need to restart the game. Be warned, some players are pretty intense and territorial. I actually have no idea which cards are best for which scenario and just guess. If you get it wrong, you just try again. It’s still fun even if you don’t know all of the details.
COST: FREE
EPCOT WORLD SHOWCASE PASSPORTS
When you visit EPCOT during the Flower + Garden Festival, Food + Wine Festival or Festival of the Holidays, be sure to pick up a World Showcase Passport. It’s a fun activity to do over the course of your trip and you can learn extra details about the cultures and food from each of the countries. I have yet to fill my passport with 100% of stamps but got pretty close this past holiday season. Better luck next time 🙂
COST: FREE
WINE WALK AROUND THE WORLD
Yes, Adults can have a blast at Walt Disney World too! While the options for alcohol in each of the parks is growing, my favorite is the World Showcase at Epcot. You can literally ‘drink your way around the world.’ You can even find Facebook groups dedicated to this topic. Some of our favorites, are the frozen drinks like the below in France with Saint Germain liquor and Vodka. It really helps keep you cool and refreshed on a hot afternoon.
If you’d like to take part in a fun activity where you can drink some alcohol and learn about different wines throughout the world, then the WINE WALK is for you. What started out exclusively during the Food + Wine Festival, is now available year round. For $30, you can enjoy 2 wine tastings in Italy, Germany and France. You’ll taste a white and red in each country and even get to keep the signature event wine glass. Start out at the participating country of your choice where you will receive the glass and a passport to jot down any notes about the wine and get a stamp as you travel to each ‘country.’ This is on the top of my list for our trip in July.
COST: $30 / person
SEASONAL EVENTS
- Epcot Flower + Garden Festival: One of my favorites and falls every year on my birthday in April so it’s a great excuse for a bday trip! I love the character topiaries around the park, and similar to the F+W festival, there are special food stalls set up where you can pick up small plates of absolutely delicious food (and alcohol) at a not so high price.
- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: The only time during the year when adults are allowed to be in costume at WDW. By rule, only kids can be in costume. Go trick or treating, get free snacks and stay for the late night parade. Watch it from frontier mood to really be in the Halloween spirit OR on Main Street with a view of the castle.
- Epcot Food + Wine Festival: Another one that I LOVE and already planning to attend this year. It’s become so popular they continue to expand the dates and is now from end of August to mid-November. I recommend the special Parisian breakfast events at the France Pavilion that take place on the weekends. Book far in advance as this is really popular and tends to sell out.
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: My friend Keiko goes every year with her family and has the best time. Just make sure to check dates before book your trip as it usually ends by around December 20th, before the peak Christmas crowds begin.
COST: Special event tickets required for Mickey’s Halloween and Christmas parties while Epcot’s seasonal festivals are included in daily park admission.
GENERAL TIPS and PERSONAL FAVORITES:
- Download the MY DISNEY EXPERIENCE APP onto your phone before you go. This will be your go-to resource when making and changing FP+ and dining reservations, checking wait times for rides and character meet ‘n greets, finding locations of bathrooms, all types of dining and more. You’ll have FREE wifi in the parks so it won’t cost you anything on your data plan.
- Even though it’s a vacation, waking up early to arrive at the Magic Kingdom when it opens really does give you a great start to the day as on most days (not on major holidays), the parks are less crowded in the mornings. I really enjoy taking a stroll around the park when its not packed and you can always take an afternoon nap in your hotel room or by the pool if you’re tired
- On days where it may be a bit more crucial/helpful to arrive at the parks right when they open, we skip the free Disney bus and take an uber or Lyft direct to the park. Rather than wake up extra early to ensure we get to the park at opening, we spend $5-$10 and get a bit more time in bed which I need. For ex: We took an uber to Magic Kingdom on Christmas morning and plan to take one to Animal Kingdom in July so we can get in and out of Pandora before it gets too packed.
- Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom is my favorite Quick Service (fast casual) option for lunch, of all of the parks. The upstairs dining area is usually much less crowded than most locations and they have a variety of menu options, even some healthy, delicious ones.
- At Epcot, you can’t go wrong dining anywhere at the France Pavilion as it is one of the few locations in all of WDW where 100% of the food is made fresh each day on premises. Everything from hundreds of demi baguettes, croissants, macaroons, and ice cream are made fresh each morninng. Some other dinner favorites in Epcot include Le Cellier in Canada, La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico and Via Napoli in Italy.
- We usually make advance dinner reservations but keep it more casual for lunch. Picking a different country in World Showcase at Epcot to eat at each night is really fun! For our upcoming trip in July, I booked Rose & Crown in the UK, Spice Road Table in Morocco and for the first time we are going to try the Skipper Canteen at the Magic Kingdom. I timed that to end just before the fireworks will start. Note you need to cancel 24 hours in advance, otherwise they charge a small fee. You can however move your reservation location and/or time on the same day based on availability without a fee. That’s not always possible at the hard to get reservations like O’hana or Be Our Guest.
- Nothing comes close to how amazing a Dole Whip soft serve tastes in Adventureland. Pick one up and then watch the TIki Room show. (they let you bring in food/drinks)
- On the day we head home, we usually schedule our flight out to leave early afternoon which gives us time for the breakfast buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. It’s one of our favorite meals.
- When it’s a super hot afternoon and we’re in need of some A/C or just some time to relax we have our favorite spots – Carousel of Progress and The People Mover (We could ride this all day if they would let us) at MK, Muppet 3-D at HS, and The American Adventure and Gran Fiesta Tour at Epcot.
- I recommend and always follow the standard tips like wear sunscreen, drink LOTS of water, snack on the fresh fruit you can now find around the parks, and wear comfortable shoes. My bag always has band-aids, sunscreen and a bottle of water in it at all times.
- I’m a creature of habit and love picking up my morning coffee when I’m headed out for the day. While I don’t stop in everyday at the parks, there are some mornings I really need my Starbucks fix. When the cups are this cute, it’s hard to resist.
Don’t forget, you can catch most of the fireworks shows from many areas outside of the parks. The above is the fireworks at Hollywood Studio’s while watching from The Boardwalk. You can watch the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks from all of the MK area hotels. In July, we’re planning to watch them on the night we arrive in Orlando from the Polynesian Resort Beach with a Tiki Cocktail in hand.
If you’re traveling to WDW with kids and want a more in-depth look at what to do, read my friend Keiko’s blog post HERE.
Anyone else heading to Walt Disney World this year? Please share any of your favorites things to do/eat, tips or ask questions in the below comments.
Use these links to book your trip:
BOOK A WALT DISNEY WORLD HOTEL
BOOK THE SWAN OR DOLPHIN HOTELS
xx, Angie
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Start writing here.Good info for the newby traveler.