How to Make Your Next Disney World Trip EASY
If you’ve planned a Disney World trip recently, you’ve probably found yourself thinking, “wow, this is A LOT more complicated than I remember.” And, you’re not wrong!
Cinderella Castle
Between deciding what parks you want to visit, where you want to eat, whether you want to rent a car, if you’ll be purchasing Genie+ (the new way to “skip the line” at popular attractions), and more, there’s a whole lot to think about now! And, on top of it all, some issues or complications can arise with all of these things that make planning your trip even more of a hassle. So, instead of throwing in the towel and giving up on your trip, we’re breaking down some of our tips and tricks to making your next Disney World trip easier!
1. Disney World Park Pass Reservations
Park Pass Reservations are something you need right now — you can’t escape them! If you want to visit a Disney World theme park you’ll need a valid ticket for every member in your party AND a valid Park Pass reservation for the park you want to visit for every single day of your trip.
And, while the process of making your reservation isn’t all that complicated, it can get a bit trickier during particularly busy periods or popular days (like holidays) as Park Passes can fill up. So, if you wait too long to grab yours, you could run the risk that the Passes for all of the parks (or the 1-2 parks you were hoping to visit) will be full by the time you go to make your reservations.
Gotta Get Those Park Passes if You Want to Visit the Parks!
So, what can you do to make things easy? First, book your Park Passes as EARLY as you can! Once you know your travel dates, go ahead and book those Park Pass reservations for every member of your party for every day of your trip as soon as you are able to — even if you’re just guessing which parks you’ll want to visit when. That way, you can guarantee that you’ll at least get to visit the parks you’ve got reservations for.
Click here to see our step-by-step guide to making Park Passes!
When you’re finished making your Park Passes, be sure to write them down, take screenshots of them, and/or add the information about which parks you’ll be visiting on each day in your calendars or phones. That’ll help you keep track of your plans. Plus, it’s good to make sure other people have a copy of these plans too in case your phone runs out of battery or has issues of any kind.
Spaceship Earth
And finally, if you change your mind later about what parks you want to go to — check the availability on the Disney Park Pass calendar before making any changes. You don’t want to end up canceling your reservation and find that all the parks are sold out for the same day so be sure to see if another park has become available that you want to switch your reservation to. You can then cancel your existing reservation and make a new one.
Click here to see our page full of Park Pass availability updates
Availability does change and sometimes more Park Passes are added for select days so you’ll want to check back often if you’ve got your eye on one specific park. Of course, we’re always keeping an eye out for these updates, so instead of refreshing Disney’s website over and over again, let us do the work and check back with us (or subscribe to our newsletter) for the latest. We do posts each week on park pass reservations and availability so you, our readers, are in the know!
Click here to see how to solve the most common Park Pass problems!
2. Increased Costs
As the world continues to return to “normal” you may find that things are more expensive than they were a few months (or even years) ago and a lot of it has to do with inflation and overall labor and supply shortages. So, everything from airfare, hotel rates, gas prices, and car rentals to Disney World’s food and merchandise will cost you a bit more.
Magic Kingdom Parking
And, while Disney World hasn’t raised their ticket prices per se, we have noticed that in 2022 more tickets are generally categorized in higher price levels than they were previously. That means the exact same trip you went on this year could be more expensive next year if some or all of those dates now fall into a higher price category.
EPCOT Entrance
We’ve also seen price increases made in Disney World when it comes to merchandise (like masks or Wishables) and to A LOT of food as well (including popular snacks like the spring rolls in Magic Kingdom, popcorn, Mickey Bars, and Dole Whip).
The BIGGEST Takeaways From the HUNDREDS of Restaurant Price Increases in Disney World
In other words, don’t necessarily expect every aspect of your next Disney trip to cost exactly the same as it did previously. Changes in pricing might mean that you’ll need to adjust your budget for your trip to handle these increased costs. Or, if you’re going to budget the exact same amount as you did for prior trips, realize that you might have to adjust how you spend that cash to make sure you can still do what you want to do.
Many iconic Disney World snacks got a BIG price increase
First, before you set your budget, take an updated look at just how much some aspects of your trip are going to cost you, especially when it comes to airfare and rental car costs.
You’ll want to look at these costs well in advance of your trip and adjust your budget as necessary. When you can, it might also be good to use tools and tricks (like airfare price watchers) to keep an eye on when costs may dip so you can get the best deals possible.
Click here to see why renting a car could cost you MORE than Disney World tickets!
You can also look into potential discounts through services like AAA or you could see if you can utilize some of your credit card points for flights or hotels, which could then give you more wiggle room for other costs. You could also work with a travel agent who could help you utilize some discounts or special deals they may know about — we highly recommend our friends over at Small World Vacations for all your travel needs!
Orlando Airport
The key here is to be realistic about your budget and recognize that things might not cost the same as they did during your last trip. If you can, you’ll want to book early (or whenever you see prices fall) to make sure you get the best deals possible. Plus, be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest updates on new hotel and ticket discounts that you can take advantage of!
Click here to see our 3 tips to budget for a Disney World trip!
3. Advance Dining Reservation Troubles
If your last trip to Disney World was prior to the pandemic, then you might be used to getting advance dining reservations 180 days out from your trip. But, after the parks reopened, things changed significantly and guests can now make advance dining reservations just 60 days in advance of their trip, plus the length of their stay (up to 10 days).
Beast in Be Our Guest
Reservations can fill up VERY quickly for popular spots, especially with this shorter reservation window. And, some restaurants in Disney World have a more limited number of tables available because their dining room is just smaller.
If you wait until the last second before your trip begins to book those reservations, you may not be able to get a seat at the fan-favorite spots you were hoping to eat at.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
So, what can you do to make your next trip easier? Set those alarms and book those reservations the very first day they become available to you! If you change your mind later, you can always cancel your reservation and/or make a different one. Just make sure you cancel well in advance of the time that you’ll be charged the no-show fee (typically you need to cancel by 11:59PM the night before your reservation to ensure that you aren’t charged, but be sure to read your restaurant’s rules for any specific instructions).
Dinner at the reopened Cape May Cafe
If you’re on the fence about whether or not to book a reservation, our advice is to book it if you see it’s available. Then you can discuss it with your family during the next few days and make that call as to whether you want to keep or cancel it. BUT, do NOT make 3 reservations for around the same time which you don’t intend to keep, or hold onto reservations you don’t intend to go to until the last second and then cancel them. That can needlessly prevent other people from potentially getting reservations they really want. Plus those $10 per person late cancellation fees can really add up!
Click here to see the 10 WORST things everyone does in Disney World!
If you aren’t able to get the reservations you were hoping for, keep checking! You’ll especially want to check as you get close to that window when guests need to cancel their reservations if they want to avoid being charged for not going. You can sometimes find spots for popular restaurants pop up at that time as people cancel their reservations.
It can be hard to snag a reservation at Oga’s Cantina!
And be sure to check things like Disney’s walk-up waitlist feature or even table service to-go to see if you can get a last-minute seat or some food to go from your favorite spots.
Check Out 3 HUGE Tips for Snagging Hard-to-Get Reservations in Disney World HERE!
4. Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selections
If you’ve visited Disney World before, FastPass+ might be something you were used to utilizing during your trips to be sure you rode the most popular attractions in the park and you may have relied heavily on it. However, in 2021, Disney officially closed the chapter on FastPass and the free option to bypass the standby and introduced Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Lightning Lane Attraction Selections. So, now, if you’re planning to skip those standby lines, you’re going to have to pay at least $15 per person, per day, or even buy access to individual attractions a la carte.
There’s a brand new system to learn and…it’s complicated
If you simply walk into Disney World now without reading up on this new system, you may end up feeling overwhelmed, and like you’re missing out on some attractions or experiences.
You Don’t Want to Miss Out on Your Favorite Rides!
To make your next trip easier, take a look at some of our tips and tricks for tackling Disney Genie. This is something you’ll need to do a deep dive on to help you fully understand all of the nuances of each Genie+ option and see what makes the most sense for your family. You may want to just use the free Genie touring option or it might make sense for your family to opt into buying Genie+ for $15 per person, per day on select dates of your trip (you don’t have to buy it for EVERY day!) Or, maybe you just want the freedom to skip the standby line at the most popular attractions (and your personal must-do!) with the Individual Attraction Selection.
Lightning Lanes are the new FastPass lines
There are lots of ways to make Disney Genie work for you, or figure out if you want to use it at all. So take some time to do the research and figure out what will provide you and your family the most benefit and value for your trip!
5. Mobile Order
The days of waiting shoulder-to-shoulder in line at Quick Service restaurants are gone and Mobile Order is now available (and preferred) at almost all of Disney World’s Quick Service spots. All you have to do is open up the My Disney Experience app, select the restaurant you want to order from, order your food, and simply go to the Quick Service restaurant during your scheduled pick-up time to get your food.
Mobile Order is VERY useful and essentially required in many spots right now, BUT you might experience a number of issues with the service.
Mobile Order
First, if you wait until later in the day (or you wait until you’re hungry) to order, you may find that the next pick-up time is not for an hour or MORE. By that point, you and your group may be extremely hangry. Our advice? Place those mobile orders EARLY in the day. Seriously, we’re talking about ordering your lunch while waiting in line for a ride at 9AM. If you do that, you’ll likely have a greater amount of available options in terms of pick-up times.
©Disney
Another issue that can come up with mobile order is that even when you go to your designated pick-up time, there may be quite a lot of people also waiting at that exact same time to get their food. That can cause LONG mobile order pick-up lines to form and could mean that you’ll have to wait a significant amount of time until your order is ready.
Mobile Order Line at Animal Kingdom
One way to avoid this is to schedule those pick-up windows for off-times when most people aren’t eating. You might want to avoid that peak lunchtime around 12:00-1:30PM or so and instead, consider eating a larger brunch meal and then snacking to hold you over until a later lunch.
Click here to see the harsh reality behind mobile ordering in Disney World.
6. Disney World Hotel Rooms Can Be Hard to Find
If you’re planning to go to Disney World this year, you might have a tough time finding a Disney World hotel room in your budget or even finding a room at all! Disney World’s hotels have been filling up for certain days and periods MONTHS in advance meaning that you may find that availability is fairly low for some days.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
To make your next trip easier, even if you’re not planning to go until next year or several months from now, be sure to book those hotel rooms early!! If a deal later comes out that you want to take advantage of, or you change your mind about what hotel you want to stay in, you can later cancel, modify, and/or rebook to make your trip work for you. Just be sure to check on any cancellation or modification rules.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
If you can’t find a room at a Disney World hotel that works for you, remember that there are a number of other hotels that might still fit your needs! For example, you could consider spots like the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort (which is within walking distance of both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios), the Disney Springs Area Resort Hotels, or the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek (which is surrounded by the Walt Disney World Resort).
Plus, you could even look at renting Disney Vacation Club points to stay in a DVC resort through our friends at David’s Vacation Club Rentals. Renting points (as opposed to booking the room directly through Disney) can help you save BIG and still stay in the hotel you’re looking for!
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
There are also other off-property resorts that might work in your budget and still give you great benefits. The important thing here is to get planning early so you have plenty of time to look at all of the options, see what works best for your family and your budget, and book while you can get the best deals!
Click here to see how Disney World hotel prices compare to off-property resorts.
7. Complications, Changing Rules, and More!
It’s no secret that things are constantly changing in Disney World. Whether it’s new mask rules, restaurants reopening, or new discounts, it can be difficult to keep track of it all and know what to plan for. That’s why working with a travel agent can help you with some of that and make your trip much easier!
Travel agents stay up-to-date on all the latest discounts, can help answer your questions, and can give you advice or assistance that can make your next trip so much easier. If you have to change a reservation, need to request something specific for your room, or have a question about your trip, you won’t be stuck handling all of that on your own if you work with a travel agent.
You’ll Have a Friend Helping You Out Along the Way
We highly recommend our friends at Small World Vacations. They’ve got years of knowledge about planning Disney trips and can really take a lot of the stress out of your next vacation. Plus, their services are TOTALLY FREE! So you won’t spend a penny more than you would have if you planned the trip all on your own. Their contact info is below so you can get in touch with them!
Click here to see our thoughts on whether you should use a travel agent!
8. Need More Help and Tips on Disney Dining and More?
There are a LOT of little things that go into planning your trip, especially when it comes to details about what restaurants to try, what snacks to grab, what new experiences to check out, etc. Can’t decide where to eat? Not sure where to even start when it comes to planning your meals or other special experiences? Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!
Get the DFB Guide today!
The DFB Guide can be a great, portable resource to help you plan for ALL things dining (and more) in the parks. The guide itself is over 900 pages long and includes tips and tricks, information about Disney World’s restaurants and special dining experiences, links to reviews and other information you need to know, our picks for great snacks, Top 5 lists, resources like phone numbers and dining hours, and SO much more! And the best part? It loads onto your mobile device, so you don’t have to lug a giant book around the park, it’s all in the palm of your hand!
Click here to purchase the 2022 DFB Guide to Disney World Dining!
And that’s our list of tips and tricks to make your next Disney World trip easier. We hope these help your next vacation be absolutely magical. Want more insider knowledge for planning your trip? Check out our video below!
Click here to see our list of the easiest mistakes to make in Disney World and how to avoid them!
Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise.
Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!)
So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you 
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Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!
Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
With more than 750 pages, the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs!With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
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What tips or advice would you give to others to make their next Disney World trip easier? Tell us in the comments!
The post How to Make Your Next Disney World Trip EASY first appeared on the disney food blog.
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