Are you planning an upcoming trip to Disney World?

Whether you’re new to visiting The Most Magical Place on Earth or you’ve stopped by a couple dozen times, you probably realize that there’s a lot that goes into planning your trip. There’s a lot of information to take in, but it’s completely possible to become an “expert” before you even get to the parks. You might even be able to surprise your family with your knowledge! (Maybe make them think you’re psychic?! 😉)

Knowing the Menu Items Before They Arrive

If you’re a frequent reader here at DFB, then you’ll often find out about new snacks and menu items before they arrive in the parks. Disney will occasionally share details about upcoming treats and snacks, including their arrival dates…and we make sure to pass that information along to you.

There have been times where we’ve been to Disney World restaurants and asked about a menu item that hadn’t even arrived yet. Sometimes, the food or beverage we were interested in hadn’t been advertised as on the menu just yet, but we were able to check it out. Sometimes, there are even secret menu items that can’t be spotted on the menu (hence: secret!) It doesn’t hurt to ask!

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Watching Out for That Water Spray

All throughout the Disney World parks, there are some fun hidden features that only the returning visitors or the fans who do their research know about. And if you plan it just right, there are two places where you might be able to trick your family members (or save them)!

At World of Disney in Disney Springs, one of the store entrances/exits has a gigantic Stitch above the sign. If you hang out below him for a minute, he’ll likely spit water on you — what a “fun” surprise!

And the same thing happens with the camel in front of Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom. Make sure to look out for that wet spot on the ground and avoid it. Well, unless it’s one of those unbearably hot Florida days!

Click Here for Hidden Secrets of Magic Kingdom!

Knowing When Characters Might Show Up

If you do your research ahead of your trip (like reading our posts here at DFB), then you’ll learn about things like “surprise” character meets! Right now, Disney characters are popping up at random times in locations around the parks. You may see princesses in EPCOT, Mickey and friends in Hollywood Studios, or rare Disney pals (like Cinderella’s stepsisters) in Magic Kingdom.

The times for the cavalcades that run through the parks are now posted on the big wait time screens and in the My Disney Experience app, but the individual character appearances are more random. By following along with the news, you’ll know to look out for Mulan in China or to keep an eye on the train station on Main Street, U.S.A. Then, when you keep spotting characters all around the parks (more than the average guest) because you’re in the right place at the right time, your family will think you’re magical!

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Planning Outdoor Rides in the Morning

In Florida, especially in the summertime, it often rains in the afternoon. You’ll want to get a reliable weather app (preferably with a radar) before your trip and check it each morning. You may even want to check the weather each hour throughout the day because some apps can tell you that rain is arriving in a matter of minutes.

But thanks to those afternoon thunderstorms, many outdoor rides and attractions close down due to weather conditions. So, if you see a chance of rain in the forecast, make sure to knock out your outdoor must-dos first thing. You can tell your family you have a “feeling” they’ll go down later in the day. We won’t reveal your secret!

Click Here for the FULL List of Attractions That Close When it Rains!

Predicting Crowd Levels

You may think that predicting crowd levels is impossible, but we’re here to tell you that there are some great tricks of the trade! First, you’ll likely be able to tell some level of park busyness based on the hotel availability for the week of your visit. If there are only a few select hotel rooms left across the property, it’s going to be crowded. However, if you can still book almost any resort, things probably won’t be too bad during your trip!

You may also be able to tell the crowd factor based on the availability of Disney Park Pass reservations. Check the availability calendar — if the parks are booked up, it’s going to be bonkers! This is a less reliable method as the capacity limits continue to decrease, but you’ll at least be able to tell if you’re about to have the most crowded park day you’ve ever seen.

The time of year that you visit definitely has an impact on how busy things will be. The general rule is that if the kiddos are out of school, it’ll get more crowded. Think things like summer break, holiday weekends, Thanksgiving week, and the like. The same goes for special occasions in the parks, including ride openings, runDisney races, and events (like the 50th Anniversary!).

And if you want to see live-action crowd coverage, make sure to follow along here at DFB. Any time that the crowd levels are remarkably low or high, we like to report on it to keep our readers up-to-date. You’ll be able to see what things are like ahead of, or during, your trip!

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Even if you’re not a seasoned Disney World veteran, there are plenty of ways to be “psychic” in the parks just by doing a little pre-trip research. Keep following along here at DFB, and you’ll be a Disney expert in no time!

Click Here for the Disney World Planning Advice We IGNORE.

What’s your favorite Disney World trick? Let us know in the comments!