With all the new announcements and changes at Disney World lately, it’s easy to get overwhelmed while planning your next vacation to the parks. How much are you going to have to rely on your phone? What services are unavailable? Should you stay on or off Disney property? So many questions, so little time.

But since you’ve made the time to come check out our blog, we’re going to try to help make things a little less stressful and a whole lot easier. Here are 23 tips that will make your next Disney World trip MUCH easier.

Disney has probably changed a WHOLE lot since your last trip — especially over the course of the past couple of years, for better or for worse. Then again, if you’re planning your first-ever Disney World vacation, you might not know how different Disney has become because, well, this will be your first time experiencing it all — which can STILL be an overwhelming feat!

The tricks we’re gonna talk about today are for EVERYONE — whether you’re a newbie or park veteran. Ready to navigate the parks together? Then let’s get started!

If you want to get all this information in a printable format, just visit disneyfoodblog.com/easier to download our FREE PDF guide to these 23 tips! Just enter your email, and we’ll send that PDF straight to your inbox. You’ll also be signed up for our newsletter, which means you’ll be one of the first to know about all the Disney updates. If you’ve got a trip coming up, you don’t want to miss any changes!

Now, let’s get into these tips.

Search Restaurant Names When Making Reservations

When it comes to snagging reservations for those coveted restaurants and lounges — like Cinderella’s Royal Table and Oga’s Cantina — speed is KEY. You’re going to want to save yourself as much time as possible when those reservations are released; mere seconds can be the difference between getting the reservation and missing out.

If you’re booking a dining reservation 60 days out (which, for those hot-ticket restaurants, you’re going to HAVE to), remember that online booking begins at 6AM EST on the dot (so be ready to make reservations a bit before that time hits). And you will not be the only one awake that early to grab a reservation. Disney people are DEDICATED people.

You can book a reservation on the Disney website or the My Disney Experience App (remember the name of that app — we’ll mention it a LOT.)

If you already have a game plan and know EXACTLY what restaurant you’re wanting to book, search for that specific restaurant online or on the app instead of just clicking *check dining availability* for the date you’re looking for. That way, you don’t have to sift through all the other dining reservations that will appear when you’re trying to make a reservation on the main dining reservation page.

It may only save you a couple seconds, but as many Disney guests are starting to realize in this day and age, a couple seconds could mean the difference between getting a reservation and not getting one. You can also call to book reservations, but that phone line doesn’t open until 7AM EST, meaning everyone else gets a jump on those tough-to-get reservations.

Click here to see the HARDEST reservations to get in Disney World in 2023.

Search for More Restaurant Reservations

When you’re browsing the dining reservations, you’ll notice the My Disney Experience app gives you nifty little breakfast, lunch, and dinner tabs that are meant to help you book a reservation for specific noshing times. But if you’re not careful, these tabs can be misleading. The breakfast, lunch, and dinner tabs provide you with the prime times of each category. Meaning they’re not going to show you those weird in-between time frames, like 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

So, if you’re looking to book a time at a specific restaurant and you’re not seeing any reservations available for lunch or dinner, don’t assume just yet that all the reservations have been taken. You can find more reservation times by simply clicking on the specific restaurant time frames instead of just clicking on those “breakfast, lunch, or dinner” tabs on the My Disney Experience App. If you’re cool with eating a meal during that odd time between lunch and dinner, then you may have a better chance of eating at a more popular restaurant.

Another reason why eating around 2 or 3PM is a stellar option to consider? This time frame is usually the peak-of-the-day for Disney, meaning crowd levels for rides and attractions (on a typical day) will be at their highest. So what better way to avoid the long waits and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds than by munching on some great food?

These are the 17 BEST restaurants in Disney World in 2023.

You Can Book Dining Reservations NOW

Did you know you don’t necessarily have to book ALL your dining reservations 60 days in advance? Don’t take this advice the wrong way. We still HIGHLY recommend making the reservations ASAP just to secure the restaurants you KNOW you’re going to want to visit. Like, don’t gamble away a must-do restaurant for you and your travel party and assume you’ll just be able to get a reservation the day of. No. Please don’t. That stresses us out.

This is just a fun little tidbit of info to let you know that some table service restaurants will be available for booking the day of your visit. Which ones? We can’t tell you specifically. That’ll change on the daily depending on guest demand. You’ll often find resort restaurants with availability day of, particularly the less popular or more out-of-the-way places like Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

But if you’re bummed about potentially missing out on a table service restaurant that you found out about while at the park and now you’re longingly looking at it, wishing you’d known about it sooner, you’re not totally out of luck yet! On your My Disney Experience app (we told you it’d come up a lot), go to “Check Dining Availability,” then pick the “Now” option. All available restaurants will show up with an estimated wait time.

If you don’t see the restaurant you’re wanting to dine at, don’t just check once and give up if there’s nothing you want the first time ‘round. If guests don’t make it to their reservation, their table goes to the walk-up waitlist. So keep checking! (Except if it’s Cinderella’s Royal Table or Oga’s Cantina. Or even Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater or Be Our Guest Restaurant. You can check if you want, but we really wouldn’t hold our breath for those day-of reservations. The other restaurants, though? You may still have a chance!)

Check out 23 snacks you shouldn’t miss in Disney World in 2023.

Don’t Just Mobile Order Your Food

Mobile Ordering isn’t just for food, y’all — it’s for shopping too! At select Disney resort shops, you can now access the Mobile Checkout feature on your My Disney Experience App. That way, you don’t have to wait in line to make your purchases. You can check out any time you want, WHEREVER you want in the store. Such a major time-saver! And easy, too!

So, how do you know if a store has mobile checkout? There should be signs plastered about the store, whether it be in the windows or on the stands of end caps. And these signs will have QR codes you can scan that’ll take you straight to the mobile checkout process on your app.

Okay, so how does this work? After you scan the mobile checkout QR code, the My Disney Experience App will lead you to your virtual shopping bag. Press “Scan an Item.” From there, you’ll be able to scan the barcode of the merch you’re wanting to buy.

That item will be added to your account immediately. Then, you have the option of adding more to your virtual shopping cart OR proceeding to check out. As long as you have all your card info already added to your app, you should be able to check out almost instantly. After you check out, another QR code will pop up on your phone screen. This is the code you’ll need to show a Cast Member at the store’s exit to prove you purchased your item (or items) on the app.

See which store recently added Mobile Checkout in Disney World.

Ask for Allergy Binders

If you have any food allergies or specific dining accommodations you need to account for, don’t worry about not being able to eat at the parks! Disney is getting better and better about working with those with different dietary needs.

Before your trip, check out the online menus for the quick service and table service restaurants. Many of the allergy-conscientious menu items are provided there so you can plan what you’re going to order ahead of time. You can also request to see the allergy binders Disney has at their quick service and snack locations, which provide an organized list of all the specific ingredients you can find in each of the restaurant’s meals.

Although Disney does its best to accommodate for these different needs, just know that these meals are NOT prepared in allergy-friendly kitchens, just in a separate part of the same kitchen. So if you’re hyper-sensitive to a certain type of food, you may want to avoid restaurants that specialize in it. For example, don’t go to Paddlefish in Disney Springs if you have a major shellfish allergy.

See the 7 BEST Disney World restaurants if you have food allergies.

Check shopDisney Online

You’re gonna want to make sure that Disney World souvenir you’re ogling over at the parks isn’t already being sold online where you could go home and get it anytime you want. If you buy an item from shopDisney, you may run across an online deal that Disney drops on its virtual customers every now and then — so you could save money buying that precious item online rather than in person.

Or — here’s a novel idea — consider buying your souvenirs BEFORE your Disney vacation! Think of how much backpack space you’re going to free up by having all of your souvenir purchases completed before you enter the parks!

This is a plan that may work better for you if you have little ones who want to get that overpriced Disney bubble wand or plushie. You can check out stores like Five Below who’ve been known to sell authentic Wishables blind bags, too. Or, hit up your local big box store and get those discounted bubble wands and Disney-themed snacks. Bubble wand prices at your big box stores gonna run you around $5-$10, but the ones in the Disney parks? $22.99. YEESH.

It’s also a good idea to buy rain gear — like ponchos and umbrellas — outside the parks, too, since Disney will sell their items at an inflated price when it starts to storm and the demand is high.

For the grown-up Disney fan, I’d also recommend you swing by your local HomeGoods or Burlington Coat Factory if you have them in your area. Both stores have been known to get authentic overstocked Disney merch. (Some of our reporters have even found JOFFREY’S COFFEE at these places!)

A lot of Disney stores have closed up shop around the US, but if you have a Disney Outlet — or if you’re near one of the two Disney Character Warehouses in Orlando while on your Disney vacation — you can also hit up those stores too for (mostly) cheaper access to authentic Disney merch. And more Target stores around the country are getting those mini-Disney stores so you can find lots of authentic Disney merch there as well.

See 10 things Disney sells online that you WON’T find in the theme parks.

Avoid Wearing Disney Pin Lanyards

Disney pin trading is a great little side quest you can participate in throughout your time in Disney World. Many collectors wear lanyards to keep all their traders in one place around their necks, but this might not be the best way to do it.

Pin lanyards are hectic — especially if you’re just relying on Disney’s standard Mickey-shaped pin backs to hold your pins in place. These backs might be cute and Mickey-shaped and all, but they are NOT super sturdy. If your pins are clanking against each other while you’re walking, (and they WILL if you’re wearing them on a lanyard), then they’re liable to fall off.

If you’re going to wear a lanyard, invest in the sturdy butterfly clutches ahead of time to serve as your pin-backs (you can find them in a bundle at pretty much any craft store for a cheap price). If you want to protect your pins further, consider investing in a window backpack (preferably a waterproof and sturdy one). These types of bags come in many styles and are a super cute way to display your collection. Plus, if a pin happens to come loose, it’ll just fall in your bag and not onto the ground somewhere that you’ll never see it again.

If you’re not big into the trading scene and just want to do a little pin-swapping here and there, think about only packing a few traders in a little pouch to keep in whatever bag you’re taking to the parks.

Check out this cool way to display your Disney pin collection.

Know Where You Can Have Your Photo Taken

You’ll find PhotoPass Cast Members all over the parks with cameras to commemorate your trip. There are a few ways you can receive these pictures, but the main option Disney tries to sell you on is the Memory Maker — which will give you ALL of the digital copies of your photos for your entire trip

You can either pay for Memory Maker ahead of time with that advance price of $169 for the entire trip, or you can pay to purchase the entire trip’s worth of pictures during or AFTER your vacation for $199.

Otherwise, you can purchase photos individually AND you can also ask a Cast Member to snap a photo with your camera or phone too. If you decide to purchase Disney’s Memory Maker, do yourself a favor and get your money’s worth out of the price by taking advantage of all those photo ops.

First off, you’ve GOT to get those main shots. We’re talking Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, Tree of Life, the Hollywood Tower Hotel, and the Chinese Theater (each park’s icons). After that, keep an eye out for Cast Members who are dressed in the signature PhotoPass garb. Photopass Photographers will be wearing the bucket hats, beige vests, and, oh yeah, they’ll be carrying a real nice camera.

Cast Member Photographers are super-duper friendly, so don’t be afraid to request certain shots. They’ll give you directions on how to pose, but if there’s something particular you’re wanting (within reason of course) throw the idea out for the Cast Member because, hey, why not! (Just remember, they’re not there to do a whole set of family photos for you. They’ll have other people waiting in line to get their pictures taken, too, so be respectful of their time.)

If you want a private photo session with your own photographer, Disney has those too, and they’re called capture your moment sessions. But this will be an added $99 per 20 minutes on top of your Memory Maker price tag.

You can also request Magic Shots from Cast Member photographers. Most of the time, there’s no need to ask. A Cast Member will tell you to hold out your hand or look at something off in the distance. Then later on when you’re scrolling through your PhotoPass photos on your My Disney Experience App, you can see a little Disney character that the cast member has added into your shot.

Oh, and don’t forget to track down those Super Zoom Magic Shots! Super Zoom Magic shots are going to take your picture from a far-off location and literally ZOOM in on you and your travel party. There are three Zoom locations — the first is in front of Cinderella Castle near the hub grass, the second is by Docking Bay 7 in Batuu, and the third is near Expedition Everest.

Learn more about Disney PhotoPass services here.

Have Planning Sessions

Whether you’re traveling with one other person or ten other people, it’s a good idea to set aside some time before your trip and figure out everyone’s vacation priorities. Even if you have a designated leader of the group who’s in charge of making the reservations, keeping tabs on the My Disney Experience app, and mapping out your route for the day, you’ve gotta remember this is EVERYONE’s vacation — not just the group leader’s.

Over dinner one evening, your group can get together and give their input on what restaurants, rides, and must-do attractions they’d like to experience on the trip. Make sure everyone’s voice is heard.

Planning with your group ahead of time can help prevent arguments during the trip. (And, trust us, when everyone’s all hot, tired, and hungry while at the parks, the last thing you’re going to want to happen is an unnecessary argument to break out and make everyone more miserable.)

Check out the ULTIMATE guide to planning a Disney World vacation here.

Download the Right Apps

You’re going to be using your phone a LOT on your Disney World vacation. Meaning you’re going to need to load those handy-dandy apps ahead of time to make your life so much easier. First and foremost (and honestly most importantly), download the My Disney Experience app.

We can’t emphasize that enough. This is the app that’s going to hold your tickets and passes, your dining plans, your Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind boarding passes, your Memory Maker photos, your mobile ordering capabilities… It’s a VITAL app. Get it. Please. Or at least have a designated person in your travel party get it and be the tech expert of your group.

It’s important to familiarize yourself with this app ahead of time. It holds a TON of functions. So download it, play around with it, check out the maps loaded on it, just befriend it, in general. Checking wait times a week or so before your trip can help you get an idea of what it’ll be like when you’re there and when to avoid certain rides because of long lines — we also collect all that info on the blog each week if you don’t want to check yourself!

Another Disney app you may want to download that’s not as crucial but still good to have is the Play Disney Parks App, which has a ton of games loaded onto it attached to those specific Disney rides that tend to rack up the high wait times. The Play Disney Parks app is a great way to help kids pass the time in queues. For example, if you’ve got an hour-long wait for Smuggler’s Run, you can use the app to sign up for missions while in the queue line. You’ll be able to do things like collect cargo, hack into droids, translate the Aurebesh language, and engage in other fun Star Wars-y things.

Aside from the Disney apps, it might also be a good idea to download a reliable(ish) weather app. Orlando’s weather is pretty much impossible to pin down, but apps like Accuweather and Weatherbug can provide you with a clearer and more detailed representation of Orlando’s daily weather forecast than what your phone’s preloaded weather app might provide.

See our complete guide to using the My Disney Experience app here.

Read Up on Genie and Genie+

There’s one more tech feature you need to understand before your next trip. The Disney Genie is a complementary mobile planning service that creates customized itineraries for you and your travel party. However, there’s also an option you can pay for called the Disney Genie+, which will grant you access to Lightning Lanes, which are basically the updated version of Disney World’s former FastPass system and Disneyland’s MaxPass system.

Genie+ costs between $15 and $29 a day, per person, in Disney World, and it allows you to select 1 ride at a time for a specific time frame where you can skip the standby line. You can make multiple selections throughout the day, but you’ll only be able to make another selection once your previous Lightning Lane ride has been used.

Some rides aren’t available for the standard Disney Genie+ feature, such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Rise of the Resistance, and Avatar: Flight of Passage. Instead, you’ll have to pay a separate fee to receive Individual Lightning Lane benefits for those hot-ticket attractions.

Yeah, we know. It’s kind of a lot to take in — we’ve got a whole video breaking down this system and tons of posts to help you understand all the details and changes.

See our FULL GUIDE to using Genie and Genie+ here.

Use Single Rider Lines

You’re going to run into line after line at Disney World all day long. So if you’re wanting to get through ALL the rides, you’re going to need a plan of attack. There are a handful of rides throughout the Disney World parks that offer a single-rider option: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Test Track, and Expedition Everest

These lines fill in open spaces left by odd-numbered parties. Single rider is *usually* a much faster way to get through the queue, but you likely won’t get to ride with your group.

If a ride offers single rider, consider breaking up your party to get through the line faster. That way, you can spend more time riding together on the other rides instead!

Are single-rider lines ACTUALLY faster than standby lines? We tested it out.

Also Use Rider Switch

If you’re going to Disney World with tiny tykes, someone’s always going to have to be that designated person who skips out on the big kid rides and stays behind to watch the little ones. However, Disney has a Rider Switch service that’ll make sure EVERYONE in your travel party is still able to ride, even if one person has to stay behind initially.

To use Rider Swap, you need to find a Cast Member at the entrance of the ride. Let them know you’re using Rider Swap so they can scan your Magic Band or park ticket. Then, the riding will commence per usual — the first group of your party will wait in the normal queue while the others wait behind with the kiddos.

After the first part of your travel party rides and returns, they’ll play a game of tag-team — now, it’s THEIR turn to watch the kiddos while the second part of the group goes and rides. Only this time, the second members will get their band (or card) scanned by the Cast Member and get to use the Lightening Lane to shorten their wait time.

This isn’t just for little kids either, anyone who can’t or doesn’t want to ride doesn’t need to wait alone while the rest of the group rides.

Find out how rider swap has CHANGED in Disney World.

Learn How to Use Disability Access Services

If you or someone you’re traveling with has a disability, the Disability Service Access Program is in place to help make your waits for rides easier. Instead of having to wait in the regular queue, you can go up to a Cast Member stationed at the ride — just like you would for Rider Switch — and request a return time.

This service was updated recently. Instead of having to wait until you arrive at the parks to set up your Disability Services, you’ll be able to video chat with a Cast Member 30 days in advance and select 2 attractions per day that you want to prioritize — you must make those selections at least two days in advance

You’ll also be able to self-select rides the day of and get 1-hour return times right in the app, rather than having to stop by each ride or a kiosk.

Learn more about Disability Access Services in Disney World here.

Consider Visiting Hollywood Studios on a Weekday

Generally speaking, crowd levels are typically higher on the weekends. Which makes sense. Locals are off work and out-of-towners can use the weekend days to prevent having to use more Paid Time Off.

But during the week (at least for the time being), we may see a *slight* dip in the crowd levels — especially since school has started back up for kiddos, teens, and college students. If you’re planning a trip to Disney for the near future, take advantage of these lighter weekday crowds — particularly, for your Disney’s Hollywood Studios day.

If you’re wanting to get on the E-Ticket Star Wars attraction, Rise of the Resistance, you may have an easier time doing so during the week. Other popular rides at this park include Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Millennium Flacon: Smuggler’s Run, and Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. With so many fan-favorite coasters, you’ll want to do everything you can to beat the crowds, and visiting on weekdays is one way to do it.

Learn when you should AVOID planning a Disney World trip in 2023.

Consider Booking a Good Neighbor Hotel

Disney’s going to provide you with a lot of “perks” for staying on property (at a Disney-owned hotel) because, well, they want to keep you on property! But even value resorts can be a little pricey for what they’re worth.

Instead of an actual Disney Resort, you might find it more worthwhile to book with one of Disney’s Good Neighbor Resorts. Good Neighbor Resorts are not Disney-owned but they do partner with Disney, so they still provide many of the same benefits as you’d find in a Disney World Resort. So why stay at one of these hotels when you could just stay at an authentic Disney World resort? Because Good Neighbor hotels are usually going to be more affordable, depending on the time of year.

Our personal favorite Good Neighbor Hotels are over at the Swan and Dolphin. What?? Those aren’t official Disney resorts?? Aren’t they on Disney property?? They may be on Disney Property, not too far away from EPCOT, but they are not owned by Disney World. The LAND they reside on is owned by Disney World, but the resorts are part of the Starwood Hotel Group (Marriott & Westin hotels to be specific).

The Swan and Dolphin provide Deluxe Resort benefits without the deluxe prices. Plus, they offer the SAME types of Disney World perks. Those who are staying at a Disney hotel can enter the parks 30 minutes before its opening time — and those staying at a deluxe resort get the added benefit of Extended Evening Hours at select parks on select nights — two extra hours in Magic Kingdom or EPCOT (or sometimes Hollywood Studios). And guess what? Those extended evening hours are also available for the Swan and Dolphin guests!

The Swan and Dolphin — along with most of the other Good Neighbor Hotels — provide complimentary transportation to and from the parks, as well. If you’re interested in making your vacation just a little easier on your wallet, you may want to check out Disney’s Good Neighbor Hotels. Disney even has a link to them on their website, so you don’t have to worry about “cheating” on Disney with some other hotel options. You can even book these hotels directly through the Disney World website.

Learn how to tackle the Disney World parks as a non-resort guest.

Don’t Be Afraid To Go Against the Crowd

If you decide to arrive at a park for rope drop (AKA: park opening), don’t feel like you HAVE to hit up those hot E-ticket attractions right off the bat. That’s where EVERYONE’S going. We’re talking rides like Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Flight of Passage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Test Track at EPCOT.

Unless you arrived BEFORE rope drop, like, an hour or so early, the lines for these rides are still going to be lengthy. Because that’s where all these rope droppers are GOING. They wanna hit up the biggest attractions first thing so they don’t have to worry about waiting in line for them all day.

This isn’t a terrible idea, but if you’re looking to ride as many rides as possible before the crowds fill in, consider using that rope drop time to hit up the other rides around the park before those crowds distribute and make all the wait times increase. We’re not saying skip out on the MAJOR rides. There’s a reason they accumulate large lines — they’re a TON of fun! But you can always hit up those signature attractions toward the end of the day instead (the wait times tend to drop just before park closing time).

Remember — Disney will still let you into the queues for rides up until the park closes. So even if you jump in the queue 10 minutes before the end of the day, Disney will let you ride. Cast Members will make sure to get everyone through the queue before they close down the ride. So you’re not only going to have a shorter line to wait in, but you’ll also get some extra time in the park, too!

Keep in mind that not all the rides open during Early Theme Park Entry, so if you’re going to the park during those extra 30 minutes before park opening time (a perk for guests of Disney-owned hotels), make sure you find out which rides will be open during that time!

Find out what you should ride FIRST in Disney World.

Study Maps

For all you vacationers who are about to go to Disney World for the first time, this one’s for you! Disney World is a REALLY big place. It’s not just Magic Kingdom. It’s four parks, 25 resorts, an entire shopping district, 2 water parks, several golf courses, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Studying up on these places ahead of time is going to save you some time when it comes to navigating your way around. This is extremely important for those first-time guests who only have one or two days in the parks. You don’t want to waste precious time trying to find bus stops, restrooms, or must-do attractions.

Disney World provides physical park maps near the entrance to each park and virtual park maps in the My Disney Experience app, so don’t worry if you don’t memorize all of the maps. This isn’t school, after all — this is an ESCAPE from school! If you’re having trouble finding a certain location while you’re at the parks, ask a Cast Member for help. That’s what they’re there for — to help!

See how the Animal Kingdom park map CHANGED in Disney World.

Get Enough Sleep

Don’t underestimate the exhaustion you’re going to experience after a full day at the Disney World parks. Your feet are going to kill you, even with those high-quality shoes of yours. You’re going to feel sticky and gross after sweating all day. The relentless sun is going to drain you. By the end of the day, you will be WIPED.

So, yeah, plan to be tired. Because even if you have the PERFECT itinerary all laid out for your travel party, your exhaustion could really throw a kink in that. Consider doing half park days instead of full park days, especially if you’re vacationing with kiddos who might need an afternoon nap. (Trust me, it’s not just going to be the little ones in your party wanting a nap after your day’s all said and done!)

Or don’t stress too much about getting to the park right when it opens. Sleep in a bit if you need to. It might be more beneficial for you to catch up on your beauty rest than to wake up at the crack of dawn and make it to rope drop.

And if that wave of sleepiness smacks you across the face while you’re in the midst of your fun-filled park day? Don’t be afraid to admit to the rest of your party that you need a breather. Slip into one of the shows, or grab a place to sit while you munch on an afternoon snack in an air-conditioned restaurant. Even stopping for a few minutes and rehydrating is going to do wonders for you — so don’t push yourself until you’re on the brink of tears. As the title of the video says — go easy on yourself, k?

See 5 places to escape in Magic Kingdom when your anxiety is through the roof.

Start a Walking Regimen

Okay, so in case we didn’t emphasize it enough in the last point, DISNEY IS EXHAUSTING. Let’s say you do stay in one of the four parks from rope drop to park closure. You’re probably going to be taking around 20,000 to 25,000 steps per day. Sometimes our park reporters even clock in with 30,000 steps.

If you’re not used to that kind of physical activity, Disney might be difficult. So start practicing ahead of time. Start small and make sure to get in those recommended 10,000 steps daily. Take walks on your lunch break, stroll on your gym’s treadmill and use the uphill feature to practice walking around Animal Kingdom (because that park is pretty much ALL inclines). Use the stairs when you can. Make the rounds at your local mall. However you can get in those daily steps, GET THEM IN. That way, your body will be more prepared for the physical exertion that’s going to happen when that Disney trip commences.

One of our readers even sent us a sweet message saying all our proactive walking tips helped them get into shape and lose 30 lbs! If you gotta use Disney as your fitness motivator, go ahead.

Find out how much you’ll really walk in Disney World.

Hold Your Umbrella Through Security

Here’s a weirdly specific one for ya. If you take an umbrella with you to Disney World, make sure to take it out of your backpack ahead of time before walking through the park’s security check.

This isn’t major or anything, but it is kind of a nuisance if someone — or multiple people — in your party has to get pulled aside for a more thorough bag inspection since the umbrellas will trigger the security check.

The same goes for large phone chargers — take those out of your backpack and carry those big boys through security, too. That way, when the security check is triggered, the security Cast Members will see what specifically caused it to be set off. Just another time-saver tip! You’re welcome!

See our ultimate packing list for Disney World in 2023 here.

Consider Bringing Your Doggo

Don’t have anyone to watch your poor pooch while you’re on vacation? You may want to book them their own getaway at Disney World. Best Friends Pet Care is a resort for your pup, located on Disney World property.

So, while you’re at the parks, your doggo will be living large in a space with 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned indoor space, 10,000 feet of outdoor space, and a fun-filled dog park. And guess what? This Best Friends resort isn’t limited to dogs — cats and “pocket” pets (as described on the Disney World website) can also be housed at the Best Friend Pet Care resort while you’re away! (Just no exotic or venomous species, please.)

A few hotels on Disney World property are considered dog-friendly (as long as your dog has all their required vaccines, is leashed while outside, and is in general well-behaved). Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and The Cabins at Fort Wilderness all have dog-friendly accommodations. (Sorry, no kitties or pocket pets this time!)

When you arrive at your resort, expect a complimentary Pluto’s Welcome Kit in your room to greet you and your furry best friend — which will include items such as a mat, bowl, an ID tag, disposable bags, puppy pads, and a map to show all the different dog walking areas around your resort.

If you decide this sounds like an awesome deal, just keep in mind that you’ll have to pay $50 per night on top of your resort fee to let your pet stay in the room with you and pets can’t be left alone for extended periods of time — so make sure to budget that into your vacation fund ahead of time.

Learn more about how to bring your dog with you to Disney World here.

GRAB A DFB GUIDE!

Need a guide that will provide you with all the latest tips, tricks, and taste tests in Disney World? We know a pretty awesome team that can hook ya up. Go over to our DFB Store and order The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2023.

We’re going to provide you with full reviews of every single restaurant in Disney World, recommendations, tips, and updated dining info galore to make your Disney World vacation that much easier. This thing is over 800 pages of our team’s knowledge — we pour everything we know into these guides, so you’re covered for anything you might encounter on your vacation.

We also have snack guides for each park, EPCOT festival guides, guides to the holidays at Disney World…and all of our guides come with a full money-back guarantee; if it’s not right for you, you can get a refund no problem! So relax, read up, and let us help you with that planning.

Click here to visit our DFB online store.

And there you have it! 23 tricks to make your Disney World vacation WAY easier! If we were to summarize this info for you today, we’d say make sure you’re planning ahead. Impromptu trips are great and all, but it’s SO difficult to waltz right into Disney World without a game plan nowadays — especially with all the latest changes that have already been made AND the ones that are predicted to happen in the near future. To make things easier on yourself (and to make your Disney World experience worth the hefty cost), plan plan PLAN! And let us help you along the way!

Keep following DFB for more tips and tricks as you plan your upcoming Disney World vacation!

Click here to see how Disney World is getting BETTER in 2023.

Are you planning a trip to Disney World right now? Share some of your favorite planning tips in the comments!