Want to Save Time During Your Disney World Vacation? Here are the Do’s and Don’ts

The Disney World theme parks are massive. You can easily walk miles upon miles at just one of them in a single day. It can be easy to be so focused on the walking that you waste time during your visit. Maybe you decide you want to rest in between each ride. Or you decide to watch every single show. There are so many ways to miss out on everything these theme parks have to offer. As a travel advisor, one of the things I am asked the most when planning Disney vacations is how to save time and not miss a thing. This is why I want to share how you can save time during your Disney World vacation. If you follow these time-saving tips, you will be able to make tons of memories with your family.

Want to Save Time During Your Disney World Vacation? Here are the Do’s and Don’ts!

1. Do Take Advantage of Disney Genie

Disney World has two new services. They are Disney Genie and Disney Genie+. The regular Disney Genie is free.

Disney Genie can be accessed through the My Disney Experience app. When you utilize this service, you can see the wait times for each ride and ask questions to get information. You can even plan your entire day with Disney Genie, so you know exactly what you are doing and when.

2. Do Make Your Dining Reservations in Advance

When you take a Disney World vacation, you will most likely want to dine at a specific restaurant. Or participate in a character dining experience. If you want to include any of those things in your Disney vacation, you must make your dining reservations in advance.

If you don’t, you will find yourself waiting longer for a table. Or not even being able to eat where you want to.

3. Do Arrive at the Theme Parks Early

Arriving at the Disney theme parks early will allow you to ride the more popular rides without standing in line for a long time. This is especially important if you are not purchasing Lightning Lane access.

If you stay at a Disney resort, you can enter the Disney Parks thirty minutes before everyone else. And if you stay off-site, you should still arrive early. This will ensure you can be at the gate right when it opens.

4. Do Consider Lightning Lane Access

Some people think that Lightning Lane access isn’t necessary. However, without it, you can spend a lot more time standing in line. There are a couple of different Lightning Lane access passes.

The first is Disney Genie+. It is currently $15 per day per person. That pass will allow you to access the Lightning Lane at specific rides at each park.

The second option is the Lightning Lane a la carte method. This pass covers the two attractions at each park that are not included in the Disney Genie+ pass. Those attractions cost between $7 and $17 per person per attraction.

5. Don’t Spend Time Park Hopping All Day

The distance between Disney Parks is quite far. You could honestly spend a couple of hours of your day trying to go from park to park. As a travel advisor, I can help you plan your days for your Disney World vacation so all your activities are within the same park.

6. Don’t Start at the Front of the Park

When you arrive at any of the Disney theme parks, you will be tempted to stop at the very first ride you see. This may seem to be a good idea. However, hundreds of other people will have the same idea!

I recommend venturing further into the park. The lines will be shorter, and you can ride more attractions in a shorter amount of time.

7. Do Your Shopping at the End of the Day

Stopping at different stores to pick up souvenirs throughout the day will slow you down. It is better to shop at the end of the day, as you are leaving the park. If you happen to stay until the end of the day, remember that the rides may stop at closing time. However, some of the stores stay open later to accommodate those who need to pick a few items up.

8. Don’t Visit During Peak Season

Peak season at Disney World will automatically mean you won’t be able to do as much as you want during your visit. If you want to save time during your Disney World vacation, I recommend visiting during off-peak times.

The slower months at theme parks tend to be September, early December, and late January.

9. Do Have a Game Plan

Above, I mentioned how you could plan your day in the My Disney Experience app. You might be tempted to wing it when you enter the park each day. That is the biggest time waster!

Your day will go much smoother if you have a plan of what rides you want to go on and what shows you want to see.

10. Don’t Over Plan Your Day

While you should always have a plan as to what you are doing each day, it is better not to over-plan your day. If you plan too much, you will end up frustrated. Something will always derail your plans. So, I recommend leaving a little wiggle room. This will ensure you feel successful at the end of the day.

These are the do’s and don’ts for saving time during your Disney World vacation. You don’t need to follow all these recommendations to save time during your Disney family vacation. However, using some of these tips will ensure your family vacation is as amazing as possible.

So, are you ready to plan an amazing family vacation at Disney World and save time?

If you said yes, I would like to invite you to schedule a planning session with me by clicking here. When you click on this link, you will be taken directly to my digital calendar to schedule a time that is convenient for you.

And if you are not ready to plan a family vacation at Disney World just yet, you can sign up for my newsletter here. This will ensure you always receive all the travel information I share.