If you’ve been to Disney World a time or two (or more) throughout the years, you probably have a solid to-do list filled with places to stay, things to do, and food to eat that you don’t stray from much.
Magic Kingdom
There’s certainly nothing wrong with that (we’ve got our own lists too!), but we’re proposing a bit of a challenge for your next vacation — try something completely different that you wouldn’t necessarily consider doing. Here are a few things you can give a go!
Dine at a New Restaurant
There are over 200 restaurants in Disney World and most Disney-goers tend to gravitate towards their few favorites over and over again. But, if you’re limiting yourself to the same few places, you might be missing out on some great eats and drinks that you wouldn’t normally try!
Cinderella’s Royal Table
So, instead of booking The Crystal Palace for the 100,000th time, plan to visit at least one new restaurant during your trip. With all of the restaurants in the parks, resort hotels, and Disney Springs, you’re bound to find something new! A lot of times you can find some hidden gems in the hotels, so maybe even try a restaurant in the resort you’re staying at.
Skipper Canteen
Of course, there are likely some very popular places that you can give a try (you’ll just have to book your reservation well in advance). Or you can try some underrated spots that you may not even know about like Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom or Sanaa in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Click HERE to See Some of the Most Underrated Disney World Restaurants!
Skip the Parks for a Day
If you’re someone who typically packs their vacation with park visits, we’re proposing that you take one day and plan to do things outside of the parks instead! There are a lot of things to do at Disney World that don’t require a park ticket and you’ve likely done very few of them if you’ve been a park-focused Disney-goer in the past.
Disney Springs
For example, Disney Springs is a giant shopping and dining district that is home to some great restaurants, both Disney and non-Disney shopping, and, of course, Gideon’s Bakehouse (which serves up HUGE half-pound cookies). Plus, Disney World even has TWO miniature golfing courses if you’re looking for a fun activity to do with the family.
Mini Golf
And, if you’ve never taken time to explore the Disney World Resorts (or even the one you’re staying at), that can be a great non-park day activity! You can hop around the resorts (just keep in mind that you may need to book a dining reservation or mobile order from a spot there with current COVID-19 policies), spend some time at the resort’s highly-themed lounges like Enchanted Rose or Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, or you can take advantage of your resort pool.
Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club
Plus, nearly every Disney hotel offers resort activities throughout the day like games at the pool, s’mores around the campfire in the evening, and a movie under the stars at night, so you could plan your day around that, too!
Check Out All the Things You Can Do Without a Disney World Park Ticket HERE!
Slow Down
When it comes to preparing for a Disney vacation, it’s not uncommon to end up with a minute-by-minute plan of what you’re going to do between all the dining reservations, attractions, and shows. But, overplanning can often ruin many a Disney World vacation, so instead, go into your next trip with the intent to take more breaks throughout the day.
Recharge at BaseLine Tap House in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
So, rather than running from ride to ride to dining reservation to store, stop and smell the roses (or whatever other smell Disney is pumping through the parks)! Stop for an extra snack, people watch, or sleep in and get to the parks later. You just might find that planning less in your day can actually end up creating more long-lasting memories.
Take a seat and enjoy that view!
If you feel the need to plan everything in your trip, then “plan for spontaneity”. Give yourself and your travel party an hour or so a day that is intentionally unplanned to revisit a favorite attraction, grab a treat that’s been tempting you, or just take a seat on a bench and people-watch and catch your breath! Since you’ve planned for it, you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything!
Check Out The SECRET Spots To Relax and Recharge in Disney World!
Stay at a Hotel You’ve Never Been To
You can even switch up where you stay during your vacation, too! If you’re someone who has always stayed at a Disney World Resort, try booking a hotel off-property. You can usually save a TON of money by choosing to stay at a hotel just off of Disney World property and depending on where you stay you can get many of the same perks as if you were staying on property (like transportation, Early Theme Park Entry, etc.).
Swan and Dolphin Resort
Or, you can even ditch the hotel completely and consider renting a vacation home through services like AirBnb.
©Airbnb
And, if you’ve never stayed at a Disney World hotel (or you always stay at the same one) switch it up and stay at a new place on property. You just might end up finding a new go-to resort!
Click HERE to See the 8 Most RIDICULOUSLY Awesome Disney World Hotel Rooms!
Change Up Your Routine
Now, think about all the little things that have naturally been built into your Disney routine over time — do you always go towards the Mexico pavilion first at EPCOT’s World Showcase? Is there a ride at Magic Kingdom that you always tackle first? Instead of continuing on the tradition, try to change it up a little bit!
Good Morning from Magic Kingdom!
Go the opposite way around World Showcase, eat breakfast in the parks instead of the resort, or get to the park at rope drop if you normally sleep in. You just might be surprised by how much your park experience is different (and maybe even better!) based on when you’re there and what you do!
See what you can do in Disney World at MIDNIGHT!
Switch Up How You Get Around
You can even change up how you get around Disney World! If you normally rely on Disney transportation, try renting a car or using an alternate form of transportation to get around the parks. These options can often give you a lot more flexibility throughout your day.
Disney Skyliner
Or, if you normally bring your own car, try relying solely on Disney transportation. It’s often much cheaper than renting a car or even just paying to park your car at the Disney hotel so you may be surprised by how much money you save. And in the spirit of trying something new, try taking the Skyliner or Friendship Cruise between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, just for fun! These can be great ways to connect with your friends and family while still “doing something” plus, we find these to be super relaxing and just the recharge needed to tackle the rest of our park day!
Read THIS Before You Bring a Car to Disney World!
Need more ideas about what new things you can try in Disney World on your next trip to take a risk or two? We’ve got you covered! Check out 15 things you can only get in Disney’s best “park” in our video below!
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Check Out 12 Times Disney Made You CHANGE How You Plan Your Vacation HERE!
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I thought your article was interesting and pretty spot-on. I just got back from a 12-day holiday in Orlando (which include my first visit to all the parks except EPCOT – which I last visited about 25 years ago). Since I’m 72 and in a wheelchair, I don’t think your mini-golf suggestions would work for me. I found it surprising, however, just how many of your suggestions I took during my trip.
Since I had never been to ANY of the restaurants I chose, ALL of them were new to me. And the ones I specifically chose because of DFB reviews (Narcoossee’s, Brown Derby, and Sanaa) were nothing short of amazing. THANK YOU for sending me there.
I actually skipped the parks for two days. I took an excursion to Kennedy Space Center on my first day (and I recommend this wonderful experience to EVERYONE), and I spent Thanksgiving Day in Disney Springs (seeing Drawn to Life which was spectacular) because I didn’t feel up to the crowds in the parks.
After four days of going from Early Admit pre-rope drop through Extended Hours/After Hours Parties, my poor body said ENOUGH, and I started taking DFB’s suggestion for a mid-day break and nap. I wish I’d done that from the start of my trip. At my age, the body cannot get by on four hours of sleep like it sometimes could at 20 or 30.
Since I’d never stayed at a WDW resort before, the Grand Floridian checked off that recommendation. (I may find it difficult to take this suggestion on my next trip because the cast members there were so wonderful to me, always going that extra mile to help me out, that I’d have a hard time not staying with these same wonderful people with whom I bonded over those 12 days.
Since I visited each park at least twice, I think I can safely say I changed up my routine. Definitely went both clockwise and counter-clockwise around World Showcase and started each trip in the Magic Kingdom in a different park. I also decided to strech my comfort zone (which I think fits here) by going on most of the coasters in Disney World. (I am NOT a roller coaster guy!) I did Slinky Dog Dash (twice), Space Mountain, Test Track, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain, and Expedition Everest. I skipped Barnstormer (ratio of wait time to experience was too big), Splash Mountain (not willing to get wet on December days), and Rock and Roller Coaster (after Expedition Everest – which I thought was GREAT – I felt that I’d hit my thrill coaster limit and called a halt).
From Grand Floridian, I took Busses (because that’s the only way to get to DHS and DAK), Monorail (the most convenient and fastest ways to get to EPCOT and MK), the GF walking path to MK (beautiful, relaxing and scenic), and the Resort Boat from MK to GF (also beautiful, scenic, and FUN). I didn’t manage to take the Skyliner, because it just wasn’t going any place I was. (However, there has GOT to be a better way for those of us without cars to get conveniently from resort to resort. If there had been, I’d have visited more of them than just the Monorail resorts and Animal Kingdom Lodge!)
So I think I covered all of your suggestions (on what was effectively a first visit) before having read this article. So I’d suggest that every one of them is a good one and a highly recommended addition to anyone’s WDW stay!
Lee, thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. It sounds like you had a magical trip! I’ll share your adventures with my team. 🙂
I am already planning my ‘dream’ month-long trip to WDW even if it’s only at the dreaming stage right now. Many things make it impossible for me to go at this time and I certainly don’t plan on going while the current CEO is in charge and that crazy Genie+ system is in play. Hopefully they will both be gone by the time I get to go. Everything on your list has already been on mine. My only ‘argument’ concerning the list would be on the changing of transportation and you recommended renting a car. The added upcharge for parking at resorts now is astronomical. I do bring my car as I hate flying but I’m very angry about charging resort guests to park. The ending of free parking is when I noticed the magic starting to dissolve. I will be bringing my car for my dream trip – I’ll be older and like the idea of leaving the parks when I want to and not waiting in the heat, plus I also plan on doing a lot of shopping…. But I will resent the fact I will be charged to park where I am staying.