General Disney World Tips
- Lori Spoelstra
- Jan 1, 2000
- 12 min read
Updated: 7 minutes ago
Updated 3/6/26
The countdown is on! You are almost on your way to Walt Disney World. I hope that this vacation is truly the vacation we dream it will be! Remember if you need anything while you are there, you can call or text (best) me anytime at (616) 648-6488.
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Before You Go
Weather in Orlando
Check out the 10 day forecast in Orlando at www.wdwinfo.com/weather.htm. Once you are on that site you will find LOTS of great information for your trip. If it’s going to be HOT when you are there, bring a spray water mister—you will be glad you did! Or Disney sells them for about $20 if you want one for a souvenir. Get it early in your trip, so you have it for the whole time.
Packing
You will find that you will need less than what you think. DO pack for the weather though and layer. There are no lockers in the parks so anything that you need for the day, you will have to bring into the parks with you. The resorts have coin-operated laundry at every resort. If you are in a Villa, you will have a full washer/drier and your detergent and drier sheets are included.
Plan Your Park Attraction Route
Walt Disney World is NOT the vacation that you want to walk into a park without some kind of “plan of action.” You will be overwhelmed and crabby by noon. Make sure to view the park maps on your MyDisneyExperience app ahead of your trip to set your course!
There are two plans of action to take at Magic Kingdom: (1) Start at Frontierland and work your way around OR (2) Start in Fantasyland (but be one of the first in the gate). Fantasyland attractions will get busier and busier throughout the day, so if those are on your MUST DO list, start with those—even though most people will also be starting with those. The park maps all have height restrictions for each attraction.
Magic Bands & Magical Extras
Magic Bands can be purchased through your MyDisneyExperience account or in person at your resort or in the Disney parks. They are NOT necessary, though, and you can use your Mobile Magic through the MyDisneyExperience app on your phone.
If you do purchase a Magic Band, it will be shipped about 3 weeks prior to your departure. You can track the status of them by going to “Magic Bands” on your My Disney Experience account. Once they have been shipped, you will have a tracking number to follow them so you know when to expect them. You can also wait until you arrive at Disney World to purchase your Magic Bands and have access to much greater variety than you will find online!
When you check in, you need to assign a PIN NUMBER to your Magic Band which will activate it for charging privileges for merchandise. Keep it simple so you remember the 4 digits.
Your park tickets, dining credits if you have a Disney Dining Plan, room key, charging privileges, and Lightning Lane selections will all be downloaded onto your Magic Bands at check-in. No need to wait to eat and play once you have arrived!
Your “Magical Extras” will be included with your Magic Band delivery or in your room upon arrival: disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/vacation-package-magical-extras/.
Smart Phone & Apps
In the parks, you will use the “MyDisneyExperience” app throughout your day. This app will allow you to manage your Lightning Lane selections right at the parks and will keep all your Plans at your fingertips. You will use this app for current Wait Times and to access your “My Plans.” You can monitor your Lightning Lane selections any time during your park day and modify them through your phone app.
You will also want an external battery charger. Bring your own, or you can get a Fuel Rod at Disney or at the airport (MCO) which you can swap out at anytime at any station at Disney Parks. Using your phone for pictures, social media, My Disney Experience for managing Lightning Lane, dining, maps and wait times, and daily show guide can drain your phone battery quickly.
It’s also a good idea to download an Atomic Clock app before you go. When making Lightning Lane or Virtual Queue reservations, it’s the easiest way to get a good time. More tips for those below.
Ponchos
Pick up some ponchos before you go! You’ll likely get caught in a least a bit of rain while you’re in the parks, and while Disney does sell their ponchos at all gift shops, you can likely find them for a lower price elsewhere.
Flights & Transportation
Parking
Parking at the Disney resorts is complimentary for guests driving or renting a car while in Orlando and staying at a Disney resort hotel.
Guests pay one fee for a parking pass that is good all day at all 4 theme parks. There is a special perferred parking lot located conveniently close to the theme park entrances.
Preferred parking: $45-$50 per day; Standard parking: $25 per day; Oversized vehicle parking: $30 per day.
Flights
If you are flying, you will want to go to the air carrier’s website 24 hours prior to your flight departure and complete your online check-in and print your boarding passes. Each carrier has its own baggage fee for checked bags – you can prepay for those checked bags online or at the airport. Also be sure you are aware of the weight restriction per checked bag for your airline carrier.
If you are flying Southwest Airlines, your seats are not assigned, but you will have a BOARDING POSITION determined by your checkin time. EXACTLY at 24 hours prior to travel, you need to go to the website www.southwest.com and do an online check-in. The earlier you do your check-in, the earlier your boarding position will be. If you are traveling with children 6 or younger, you will be able to board between the A1-60 and B1-60. There are no checked baggage fees on Southwest and you are allowed 2 checked bags for free. It is IMPERATIVE to remember to do that check in at 24 hours prior to flight on the day before you go home. If you forget to check-in, and it’s easy to do when you are playing in the parks, you will end up separated and in the center seats – unless you have a child 6 years or younger. I highly recommend purchasing the early bird check-in for at least your return flight, so you don’t have to think about that on your last day of vacation.
Be sure to pack all your liquids that are over 3 oz in your checked bags, and items 3 oz or less in a ziplock bag in your carry on. Wear easy to slip on/off shoes. Arrive at airport 1 ½ - 2 hours before your flight. Go to your airline’s website and look for their baggage restrictions – size, weight, etc. Wear easy off/on shoes for airport security checkpoints. Be sure all adults have photo ID and a credit card (for baggage fees, if applicable) when you arrive at the airport.
NOTE: If you have a Trusted Traveler number for TSA Pre-Check, be sure you have included those numbers in your flight record on your airline reservation.
Hyatt Lobby
If you have a long wait before your flight, and you want a nice place to hang out until your boarding begins, a nice place to hang out and relax before your flight is the Hyatt Hotel, lobby floor. This is PRIOR to TSA security check. Go to Level 1 where the Disney store is and go up the escalator. That’s the hotel lobby. There are comfy couches, and electrical outlets up there. We usually spend an hour here before we have to go through security to our boarding gate.
Resort Tips
Check-In
Official resort check-in is at 4 PM, but you can check-in whenever you arrive. You will need a photo ID and a valid credit or debit card for check in. (If you are using a debit card, a $200 deposit will be held as a deposit on your room for incidentals). You will be required to establish a PIN number if you want to charge purchases back to your room through your Magic Band. Each person in your room can have a different credit card on file and can have charging privileges on his/her Magic Band.
Online Check-in is available 60 days prior to arrival through your My Disney Experience account. This saves you time in line when you get to the resort. If you have specific room requests other than what is listed when you complete your online check-in, it is better NOT to do this online and check-in at the resort to request those specific locations. If you do complete your check-in online, once your room is ready, you will receive a text message letting you know that your room is ready and what your room number is. Your Magic Band is your key to enter your room, or you can use the link on your My Disney Experience account app on your phone to unlock your door.
Check-Out
Official check-out is 11 AM on your departure day. You can ask for a late check out until 12 PM if one is available (ask a couple of days ahead of time). Dining credits are good until midnight of the day you check out.
Celebrations
When you arrive to the resort to check-in, let the concierge know if you have any celebrations, including if this is your first visit! They will give you buttons for the celebration, and we recommend you wear them everywhere! You never know what magic may be lurking around each corner.
Resort Upgrades
When you check in, ask for a room upgrade if one is available. Ask if there are any Preferred Location rooms available for a FREE upgrade. You never know where you may end up. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
Special Requests
If you have any special requests, they should all be requested again at check-in. Requests are only requests and cannot be guaranteed.
MouseKeeper Tips
It is recommended that you leave $1-2 per person, per night of stay for your “MouseKeeping” staff. It is not required, but very much appreciated! We usually leave an envelope at the end of the stay for her/him. Your MouseKeepers are usually young starving college students in the Disney College Program and appreciate any tips you leave!
Wake Up Call
Because you are staying at a Disney resort, you can get wake-up call from a character. Put the phone on speakerphone to allow everybody to hear it. Currently the character that calls is Olaf, but that can change.
Pools
All pools are heated to 80 degrees. Towels are provided poolside. The hot tub hours may be different than the pool hours.
Golf Carts
Golf carts are available for rent at the campground, and it’s recommended that if you want to rent one, do it ahead of time, prior to arrival through the link below. www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/cabins-at-fort-wilderness-resort/golf-cart-rental/.
Though buses do run around the campground every 10-20 minutes, the golf carts are the best and quickest way to get around Fort Wilderness, so it is highly recommended!
Preparing for Your Park Days
Park Hours
Park hours are listed in your My Disney Experience app, and you can pick up a paper “Times Guide” once you arrive at your resort or any of the park when you enter.
Theme Park Tickets
Your tickets are date specific and will be valid for the entire length of your stay, but not beyond. Keep track of the number of days you are using. Your tickets can be upgraded at anytime during your stay at Guest Services, or, if you want to add another day to your tickets, you can do that through Guest Relations, but you must do it before you use your last day.
Base Tickets - You can immerse yourself into one park per day. You can come and go from that park as often as you want in a single day, but you cannot go to a second park in a single day without the Park Hopper ($80 per ticket) option. You cannot use a 2nd day on your tickets to visit a 2nd park in a single day.
Park Hopper Tickets - Your tickets allow you to “hop” from one park to another park through out the day. I would not suggest hopping to more than two parks in one day or you will feel like you’ve spent your day en route.
Park Hopper Plus Tickets - Your tickets allow you to “hop” from one park to another park in a single day. With the “Plus” add-on to your tickets, you also have entry into both Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, the two mini-golf courses (Winter Summerland and Fantasia, and ESPN Worldwide Sports complex.
Tickets are downloaded onto your MyDisneyExperience account and Magic Bands; they are not physical tickets.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Disney's Lightning Lane Multi Pass is a theme park ticket upgrade that helps you save time waiting in line. When Multi Pass is added to your ticket package, you will be able to select Lightning Lane (an expedited line) access at more than 40 attractions and experiences throughout the parks. You can make one selection at a time throughout the day, starting with your first selection at 7am on the day of your visit through the MyDisneyExperience app.
We recommend using an atomic clock to make that first Lightning Lane reservation each day at 6:59:55am.
After you have checked into your Lightning Lane (you will have to scan your Magic Band, phone, or card two times), you can make your next Lightning Lane reservation through the app. It will give you suggestions in the “My Genie Day” menu on the app or you can search for a specific ride using the search feature if you already know which ride you’d like to do next.
Keep in mind there are two rides at each park that will not be available for Lightning Lane reservations, but you can purchase them as Individual Attraction Selections through the app instead.
Scooter Rentals
If you have limited mobility, I recommend www.BuenaVistaScooters.com for electric scooters. This needs to be reserved ahead of time and on your own. They also have some of these available in the parks for rent, but they are based on availability. If you know you need one, I recommend renting one ahead of time. They will have one dropped off at the resort for your arrival and will pick it up again once you depart. No hassle!
Wheelchairs
Wheelchairs can be rented at each park on a daily basis. You will need a credit card and your ID to place a refundable deposit on it.
Strollers
If you don’t bring your own stroller, and you want to rent a stroller other than the hard plastic ones at the parks, I recommend www.OrlandoStrollerRentals.com. This needs to be reserved ahead of time and on your own.
You can also rent standard strollers at the parks ($15 a day for single stroller and $31 per day for double). Bring a colorful ribbon or buy a balloon to distinguish yours from the zillion of others in the park. They are cheaper if you rent them for the week rather than day by day.
If you have a soft stroller, you can bring it with you from home and check it for free on your flight. You will “gate check” the stroller. You can take the stroller all the way down the ramp, and then leave it just as you enter the plane. They will then have the stroller waiting for you again when you debark the plane.
Dining
Transportation Map
Ask for a transportation map when you check in so you can see the best routes to get to your restaurants. Disney can be very confusing when you first arrive, and you will be unfamiliar with how to get to one place or another. Ask cast members how to get to Point A from Point B. They will be happy to suggest the fastest route.
Dining Plan
You can check your Dining Plan credit totals on your app by going to Reservations and clicking Dining Balance, or look at the bottom of each of your dining receipts to keep track of your credit totals.
Go to www.DisneyFoodBlog.com to check out the restaurants booked and get some great ideas for counter-service locations and snacks, and general fantastic dining tips during your stay! LOVE getting ideas for snacks from this site!
If you end up with left over snacks at the end of your trip, grab some Mickey rice krispie treats from any gift shop, or make a trip to Disney Springs to Goofy’s Candy Company, and pick up some treats there to bring home to keep the magic going a little longer! If you have an early morning flight, you can also get some muffins or pastries, and some juice or chocolate milk from your resort quick service dining restaurant, for some quick bites before you leave to go back to the airport.
Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan - 2 quick-service meals and 1 snack per person per night of stay, plus 1 resort refillable mug per person (age 3+), refillable at resorts only.
Disney Dining Plan - 1 table-service meal, 1 quick-service meal, 1 snacks per person per night of stay, plus 1 resort refillable mug per person (age 3+), refillable at resorts only. Gratuities are not included.
Resort Refillable Mugs
Make the most of your resort refillable mugs! If you have a meal at a quick service location, you can use whatever you have in your refillable mug for your beverage and take a bottled beverage from their cooler case for later (beer, wine, PowerAid, etc).
Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering
Most quick service meal locations now have the option for guests to order meals and snacks ahead of time, right from your phone! This makes dining at quick service locations super simple. There will be long lines at restaurants, but you can order your food through the app and pick it up right away, bypassing the line. It’s much faster!
When you’re ready to eat, you can log on to your My Disney Experience app on your phone and select the “Order Food” option. It will show you a list of available restaurants, and once you select one, you can pick an arrival time. If you’re looking for a specific time, you may have to check a couple restaurants to see which one has the best wait time.
Order what you want for everyone in your family, and then pay right from your phone! Head over to the restaurant when your arrival time is coming up, and then select the “I’m Here, Prepare My Order” button so the kitchen knows that you’ve arrived. You’ll receive a notification from the app when your food is ready, and you can pick it up right from the “Mobile Order Pick Up” counter.
This service is available at all four parks and at Disney Springs.
Special Dietary Needs
If you have any special dietary needs, please be sure that I have noted that on your table-service reservations and also mention any allergies or dietary needs at the host at the restaurant when you arrive.
