Disney World can be pretty overwhelming and confusing, and it may feel hard to figure out where to begin.

If you find yourself in this situation, you may turn to people who have visited before/visited recently and ask them for advice. It’s a great idea to turn to them; HOWEVER…how much do you trust these people? Like, REALLY trust them? No, your Disney World trip isn’t life or death, but you are spending tons of money to have the best vacation you can, and sometimes if people lead you astray, it’s game over. If you hear any of the following tips, we advise you to RUN.

“You Don’t Need To Plan!”

The collective scream of all of us here at DFB was SO LOUD we’re surprised you didn’t hear it through the screen. As much as we WISH you could just head into the Disney parks as a non-frequent park guest with little to no plan and just do whatever you want when you want, that’s not how it works.

Certain table service restaurants require Advance Dining Reservations, you may be waiting hours in line for one ride, meaning you miss the chance to ride 3 others, and some shows and characters are only available during certain parts of the day. Not to mention that if you’ve bought Genie+ and you don’t really know how to use it (don’t stress, we can totally teach you), you’ve spent even MORE money to be on your phone all day or attempting to book Lightning Lanes after they’re already gone. 

The truth is, you DO need to plan out your trip, even if it’s just a little bit. BUT, you need to make a plan that works best for your group — one size doesn’t fit all here! Have each of your group members make a list of the top 3-5 things they want to do in each park/each day. By focusing on those, and researching what you need to do ahead of time to make it happen, everyone will be happy and content they got to do what they wanted.

“Rope Drop Every Day!”

While this one may sound like a great tip, since you’re trying to make the most of your park ticket, rope dropping every single day of your trip might simply not be sustainable, depending on how long your vacation is.

The Disney World parks open as early as 7AM-9AM most days, and if you’re there for rope drop, you need to be there at least half an hour before that, AND depending on where you’re staying, you may need to get up an HOUR BEFORE THAT to get ready and get to the parks. If you’re staying in Disney for more than a few days, following this schedule could rip you to shreds.

Take it from our team, who has DONE it and can vouch that it will be exhausting, and you’ll end up being grumpy in the parks, which may not seem possible, but very much is. Instead, sleep in some days so you can stay in the parks later! Maybe you could even snag a late night reservation on the BoardWalk or in Disney Springs to keep the fun going, without feeling like you’ve run a marathon 4 days in a row. Remember, no matter how excited you are, your body needs rest.

“Only Eat in The Parks”

We’re Disney FOOD Blog, PLEASE believe us when we say that only eating in the parks means you’re missing out on fantastic dining all around the resort!

While eating in the parks may seem easier, since you don’t have to hop on Disney transportation to head out of the park, just to come back in an hour or so later, it’s totally worth it for some of the incredible restaurants you’ll find at Disney hotels. And yes, you can dine at a hotel restaurant even if you’re not staying there!

In fact, if you’re driving into Disney World each day with your own car, it may even be a better idea to stop somewhere along the way and grab breakfast. One, it’s cheaper (MUCH cheaper most of the time), and two, it can save time if your family is able to (safely) eat in the car while you drive. That way, you can arrive and start hitting attractions right away!

“Staying On Property Is The Only Way To Go”

It’s true that staying at a Disney World hotel truly is magical. You’re immersed in the magic completely, never having to leave the Disney bubble during your stay, but saying that staying at a Disney World hotel is the ONLY way to go when staying at the resort is simply not true.

Have ya’ll SEEN the prices of Disney World hotel rooms? ON TOP OF park tickets? Yeah, that’s just not feasible for many families. If you’re included in that group, don’t stress! You can still have a very magical Disney vacation by staying at one of Disney’s Good Neighbor hotels for a much cheaper price, and you still get some of the same perks as staying on property!

Or, you can check Airbnb or Vrbo in the surrounding area to see if there are any spots at low prices near the parks (there usually are). This is especially true for smaller groups or solo travelers. One of our writers (who may or not be writing this post, hi, hello) decided to stay in a room at a highly rated Airbnb about 20 minutes away from the park for only around $80 a night and had the BEST experience. I woke up one morning to find the Airbnb hosts making breakfast for themselves and all the house guests, got to talk with other guests about their park plans, and I have stayed there many times since. Bottom line — there are many options out there!

“You HAVE To Stay Park Open to Park Close”

We get it — you’ve been told you need to stay from park open to park close every night to make sure you soak up every moment of Disney magic, and get all your money’s worth.

There’s only one problem with that — Disney World is HOT, you walk THOUSANDS of steps per day, and you’ll be exhausted by the end of day 2 (once again, another personal experience many of our team members have faced).

The most important thing is having fun on your ENTIRE Disney World vacation, and to do that, you need to pace yourself. If you really want to be in the parks for rope drop and for park close, it’s of utmost importance to take multiple breaks throughout the day, even if that means heading back to your hotel room for a mid-day nap (the most ELITE type of nap). Maybe you plan to do a bunch of shows in the middle of the day to sit in the AC and give your feet a rest (or if you’re like me, you just watch One Man’s Dream 3 times in a row). You need to listen to your body and give it a rest so it can keep going for the rest of your trip!

Now, all of these tips, just like the ones with your friends, are just an indication of what works for us. They may not work for you, and that’s OK! As we said at the beginning, what works for your group is going to be different from everyone else, because no trip is the same. Listen to all the tips you hear, take what works, and leave what doesn’t. This way, you’ve taken in the knowledge that’s been shared with you, but are ultimately planning the best trip for you.

We’re always here to bring you all the latest Disney World news and tips, so stay tuned to DFB!

Here are 50 NEW Disney World tips for 2024!

What’s the WORST Disney World tip you’ve ever heard? Tell us in the comments!