This article was written by Karen K., Certified Disney Travel Planner and owner of KK Away Travel!
Find free water
Bring refillable water bottles OR ask for free tap water at any of the counter service locations. Water is EXPENSIVE and wouldn’t you rather spend that hard-earned money on a Mickey-shaped ice cream or Disney accessories?
Bring snacks with you
Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to the park as long as they are not in glass containers! This Disney tip can save you hundreds!
Don't forget the rain
If you don’t have a stroller weather shield, bring a garbage bag or similar to cover your stroller for those FREQUENT Florida rainstorms that always seem to take place when you are on a ride. However, you can grab a stroller cover at an affordable price on Amazon! We love this universal side by side double stroller shield. Need a single? We recommend this one on Amazon. And for tandem strollers, definitely double-check the stroller size because Disney only allows strollers up to 52″ in length and 31″ in width. Wagons are not permitted. And don’t forget to pack your rain ponchos!!
Inform Disney of any extra information
Have your travel agent notify Disney of any “extra info”. A Disney travel agent can notify them of celebrations, dietary restrictions, and/or room location preferences.
Use alternatives to room service
Instead of room service, save money by having bottled water and snacks sent to your room via any grocery delivery service such as Instacart.
Use Memory Maker for photos
If you’re a fan of documenting your trip with photos, making a one-time purchase of Memory Maker is one of my favorite “add-ons” to purchase! It also has sharing capabilities with up to 25 members of your friends/family so if you’re traveling in a large group, only one of you needs to purchase and you will all get the photo privileges!
Use a travel planner
Rely on your travel planner to prearrange a lot of your needs. The majority of planners are free for you to use, as they get paid a commission from Disney itself AND they do so much more than book your resort stay and tickets.
Rent a stroller
When in doubt, rent the stroller. If you’d rather bring your own, we recommend the ZOE Twin Plus side-by-side double stroller. It’s a Disney and travel favorite! Click here to automatically save on a ZOE Stroller at checkout!
Watch the fireworks from Tomorrowland
If you and your family would like to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom but aren’t going to be interested in prearranging a prime spot on Main Street USA an hour prior, I highly recommend going to Tomorrowland when the fireworks begin and enjoy an ice cream at Auntie Gravity’s while watching the sky. You won’t get the full advantage of seeing the projections that are featured on the castle itself, but you still get to enjoy a spectacular show in the sky without having to be confined.
Use the cheapest snack hacks
Buy a refillable popcorn bucket at the start of your trip or if someone you know has one or two from a previous trip bring theirs! One of the cheapest snack hacks in Disney: Refills are $2.25 each time!
Pay a deposit if you're not sure
If you’re on the fence about booking a Disney vacation, a deposit to hold any Disney vacation package is only $200 and is fully refundable up until 30 days prior to your trip!
Find the baby care center
There is a Baby Care Center located in each park and is complimentary to use. They are fully staffed and have private nursing areas with rocking chairs, microwaves, high chairs, and an area to purchase baby items if needed (wipes, diapers, formula, baby food, etc).
Don't bring any weapons
Even though Florida is now a “Constitutional Carry” state, firearms or weapons of any kind are not permitted within the Disney parks.
Don't expect alcohol in Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom is considered a “Dry Park” which means that alcohol is not served or permitted with the exception of a few dine-in restaurants. Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios do serve alcohol within the parks for patrons who are 21+.
Bring sanitizer
Bring the baby changing wipes, sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizer! It’s always a good idea to sanitize those little hands after a ride. These Babyganics gentile sanitizing wipes are great to throw in your bag and smell amazing!
Keep on top of sunscreen
Don’t forget your sunscreen! We love this SunBum SPF 30 Face Stick! It’s incredibly convenient, easy to apply, lightweight, small, effective, and doesn’t leak.
Keep your bag simple
Keep it simple with a belt bag or convertible crossbody bag instead of a big pocketbook. And keep in mind, you will have to take off any hats or other headwear on certain rides. Don’t forget to grab your items when the ride ends! We love these belt bags: Lululemon Everywhere Bag, Lulu Dupe Belt Bag, Adidas Crossbody Sling Bag all available on Amazon!
Dress comfy
With the exception of a few winter months, Disney World can be HOT! And you will be doing a lot of walking and sweating. It’s tempting to dress cute but it’s best to wear breathable athleisurewear (loose shorts or leggings, a lightweight cotton shirt, supportive sneakers and sunglasses. You can accessorize with some Disney ears, prints or jewelry! These Brooks Adrenaline Sneakers are seriously the most supportive shoes I’ve ever owned. I highly recommend for a lot of walking. My husband prefers the Brooks Ghost Sneakers.
Don't break the bank
If you are on a tight budget but still want your family to wear mouse ears, there are quite a few beautiful and fun ones on Amazon, for kids and adults! These ears are highly rated and extremely affordable! Check them out: Gold and Pink Minnie Ears, Mickey Sorcerer Ears, The Little Mermaid Minnie Ears, Sparkly Fireworks Minnie Ears
Teach your children about safety
Dress young children in bright, easily identifiable clothing and take note of what they are wearing at the beginning of the day. Take time in advance of your trip to teach them mommy/daddy/caretaker’s phone number. I recommend making up an easy-to-remember song with the phone number as the lyrics, such as the tune of ABCs. For extra protection, you can slip an Apple AirTag in your child’s pocket or in a compatible AirTag waterproof wristband or Airtag keychain holder. This way, in the event that your child gets lost, you can easily locate them.
We hope you enjoyed our Top 20 Disney Tips and Tricks! If you are considering a Disney World vacation or just have questions about planning, email Certified Disney Planner Karen K. at travel@kkaway.com today or check out KK Away on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kkawaytravel!
For more Disney advice, join my Twinsanity Life Facebook group to get support from other moms.
Comments