Not ALL Disney World trip planning advice is GOOD advice.
We’re about to tell you to ignore some advice
If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that we like to give advice on how to plan a Disney World trip. We’ll usually tell you how to budget, how to pack, and how to tackle your days in the parks. We’re not the only ones giving you advice, though, are we? You might get some “tips” from family and friends, but some of that advice should be ignored.
First, if you do plan on ignoring advice from family and friends, maybe it’s best not to tell them. Just nod and smile and then do your own thing when you get to Disney World — that’s what we do! 😆
Always Prioritize the “Must-Do’s”
Okay, you know EVERYONE has an opinion on what you simply HAVE to do in Disney World, all pretty much based on their own personal tastes. They’ll tell you you absolutely have to eat at places like Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest, although you may not even have an interest in those meals (or want to get tied down to an expensive pre-fixe menu in the process).
You don’t have to eat at Be Our Guest if you don’t want to
You might even get told that if you went to Disney World and did NOT ride a certain ride, you’re doing it all wrong. But what if it’s a ride you have no interest in? Maybe you’ve been told you HAVE to ride Millennium Falcon, but you’re not really even a Star Wars fan. Wouldn’t you rather ride what YOU want to ride other than what someone said you SHOULD ride?
Will you even like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge if you’re not a ‘Star Wars’ fan?
Our best advice (yes, we’re being a bit contradictory here already) is to do what YOU and your group want. If you don’t want to eat at specific places or prefer to eat somewhere else, do THAT. Ride the rides that interest YOU and not other people. This is YOUR trip, so never forget, it is ALL about you.
But if you’re just completely lost and want our advice…here’s our ranking of EVERY Disney World boat ride!
Rope Drop Every Day
We’ve been to rope drop recently at Disney World, and although EVERYONE says you should do it every single day, we think maybe you shouldn’t. Let us tell you something about rope drop — the lines are usually VERY long and it’s just not always worth it to stand in those long lines every single day.
Rope drop crowds in February 2022 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
We might also say the same thing about Early Theme Park Entry because it seems to be VERY popular with Disney World hotel guests, so you end up waiting in line to get into the parks. It’s usually so much nicer to sleep in (and trust us, you need sleep on a Disney World vacation) and get to the parks at a time when you can just walk right on in with NO wait.
We have to include a warning here: the early morning is often the best time to get on rides with lower wait times. If your goal is to get on the most popular rides without waiting in line for hours and you DON’T want to buy Genie+, rope drop and Early Entry might be the only way. However, if you’re not interested in those popular rides or if your trip is long enough that you have multiple days in the same park, then you may want to plan for a couple of sleep-in days!
Should You Rope Drop Rise of the Resistance in Disney World? It’s Complicated.
Plan Absolutely Everything
Okay, so you will want to do SOME planning for your days in the parks, especially if there are restaurants you want to eat at or popular rides you want to prioritize. You’ll need to make advance dining reservations and plan your park day accordingly. However, we’re going to recommend putting the spreadsheets away (yes, we KNOW how this overplanning thing works because WE DO IT, TOO), and leave in more time for spontaneity (we get it, THAT IS SO HARD).
Disney’s Animal Kingdom map
The thing is — if you over plan and you come across a hiccup (say a ride on your itinerary is down or there’s bad weather or something else that could throw a wrench in your plans), it could just keep you from having the best trip you could have. Sure, plan SOME things, but know that you’ll want time to be flexible, as well as time to just rest, so don’t plan out every minute of every day, no matter how much fun it is (again, we do understand how much joy planning for Disney World can be).
Even weather could derail your massive plan
Remember that if you’re in the parks running from point A to point B to point C on your big plan, you’re also missing out on all those little Magical Moments and details that could make your trip that much more special.
25 Dates to Consider When Planning Your 2023 Disney World Vacation
Have a Restaurant Reservation EVERY Day
We hear this a lot: many people will tell you that you should have at least one table service restaurant reservation each day. Here’s the thing, though: dining at table service restaurants takes a lot of TIME, and if you’d rather be riding Haunted Mansion for the fifth time (that’s us, by the way) instead of waiting on food, grab your meals from quick service spots instead.
The Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios
Sure, make a reservation or two for places you want to eat at. But you’ll find some pretty amazing food at many of Disney World’s quick-service spots, too. There’s also this: quick-service dining locations are also easier on your wallet. Having too many table service reservations can take up a lot of room in your budget.
The 10 BEST Quick Service Restaurants in Magic Kingdom for 2023
Buy Genie+ for Every Day of Your Trip
Yes, Genie+ can be a real timesaver and help you not spend a lot of your Disney World vacation standing in long lines. HOWEVER, you have to think critically about it. Do you need it for parks with fewer rides (Animal Kingdom, we’re looking at you)? Is it worth it to ride maybe three things in that park? Are the standby lines so long that you’ll need it (and this will depend on the season you visit Disney World)?
You may not need Genie+ for your WHOLE trip
You may not need to purchase Genie+ for every park — take a look at the rides offered through Genie+ (and remember that many of the popular rides require an Individual Lightning Lane purchase instead to skip the standby lines). It may not be worth it to purchase Genie+ on days you determine you don’t need it.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Using Disney Genie+
We’re sure there’s probably other advice out there that you should ignore, but this is advice we think we’ve heard the most often. As always, stay tuned to DFB for more!
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I planned my very first trip back in 2011. It was super detailed, we had dining reservations every day. Fast passes were made, and I knew which ones I was going to choose after we had used the first ones.
Since then, we’ve been to WDW 5 more times. The last trip being just the past April for my son’s 22nd B-day. I still made my dining reservations, but they were more spread out. Lunch on the first day, dinner in Epcot. Breakfast on the day we came home. As far as rides. Genie is really handy. We were spontaneous and did what was available. It was a great trip. We ate great food, and rode all the rides we wanted.