Walt Disney World Travel Tips
Our Travel Advisors are Walt Disney World experts. They have compiled lots of information here for you to reference.
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Planning Timeline
There are several things that need to be done prior to travel, in order to have a smooth vacation experience.
Prepping for Reservations
Character Dining
Please note that characters are subject to change at anytime. We have listed what is “typical”.
Akershus
Belle has a photo op upon entering. Then Ariel, Snow White & Aurora visit guest tables.
Artist Point
Meet Snow White, Grumpy, Dopey and even the Evil Queen during this themed meal!
Be Our Guest
Dine in Beast’s castle, then enjoy a photo op with him after your meal in one of the 3 themed rooms.
Cape May Cafe
Meet Minnie, Daisy, Donald & Goofy in their best beach attire while enjoying your buffet.
Chef Mickey's
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto & Goofy are dressed in their chef attire.
Cinderella's Royal Table
Meet Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, Jasmine and Rapunzel inside the castle!
Crystal Palace
Meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore from the 100 Acre Woods!
Garden Grill
Join Mickey, Pluto, Chip ‘n Dale in this rotating restaurant with views of Living with the Land.
Hollywood & Vine
Breakfast is Disney Jr Friends. L & D is Mickey, Minnie, Daisy & Goofy in seasonal attire.
'Ohana
Join Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto for their family style breakfast with a Polynesian flair.
Tusker House
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy & Goofy are dressed out in their safari attire.
Topolino's Terrace
French inspired “Breakfast a la Art” with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy.
Other Table Service Dining
There are over 100 restaurants that accept dining reservations. We have compiled our list of top picks for non-character meals.
Other Reservation Options
All of the below options are at an additional cost to your park tickets.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
Reserve a time for your princess orknight to have a fun makeoverexperience! See details HERE.
Star Wars Activities
Build a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop, or your own droid at Droid Depot!
Tron Identity Program
Customize your own TRON-inspired action figure at the Grid Digitization Portal.
Fireworks Dessert Parties
Enjoy a reserved location for premium viewing of fireworks, plus desserts! There are several options to choose from, so we will guide you.
Fireworks Dining Packages
Enjoy a meal, and then receive tickets for reserved seating for the nighttime show that evening in either Hollywood Studios or Epcot.
Private Fireworks Cruise
Premium views of fireworks from your private pontoon boat with captain, for up to 10 guests. Enjoy the provided snacks that are included.
Private VIP Park Touring
Experience the parks like a true VIP through back entrances and skipping lines. Minimum of 7 hours, rates range from $450 – $900/hour.
Scooters, Strollers & Transfers
We can take care of arranging all of these options for you. We thoroughly vet the companies that we choose to work with, providing the best options for our clients.
Stroller Options
If you need a stroller for the parks, you have options! You can opt to bring one from home, rent one from Disney within the parks, or our top recommendation is to rent from a 3rd party stroller company. Here are the strollers you can choose from. Simply let us know which you prefer and we will quote you, then arrange for the delivery directly to your resort!
*If you bring your own stroller, it must not be larger than 31″ wide and 52″ long. There are NO wagons or “pull” strollers allowed.
Scooter Rental Options
If you need to rent a scooter, let us know which will work best for you. We will provide the quote and handle the reservation for delivery to your resort.
Transfer Options
If you are flying or taking Amtrak to Orlando, you will need a way to get to your resort. We recommend a private transfer that will take you directly to your resort, as well as back to the airport. No sharing a shuttle and waiting to drop off other guests on your way. IF you prefer to use a shared shuttle to save on costs, we can guide you on which one to book, but we do not book them for many reasons.
Let's Get Packing!
General Travel Tips
Disney Genie+
This is the pay-as-you-go system that launched in October 2021 that reduces your wait times at attractions. There is a lot of information to cover on this topic, so we have it all listed separately.
This is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for your vacation!
Rider Switch
If a child does not meet the height requirement or any guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, no problem! Rider Switch, at participating attractions, will solve this issue that many families face.
Single Rider Lines
How to find your favorite characters
Meeting your favorite characters can make your vacation experience extra magical. See our chart below on how to find each one!
How to use Memory Maker
Let’s start by actually defining what PhotoPass is, as you will see that word used often. PhotoPass is the name of the system Disney uses to take your photos within the parks, on some of the attractions, etc. Anyone can get their photo taken by a PhotoPass Photographer!
Memory Maker is the name of the product you purchase that allows you access to digitally download all the photos and videos that were taken and linked to your account.
HOW TO USE MEMORY MAKER
Within the parks, you can have a PhotoPass Photographer take your photo. They will ask to scan your MagicBand or card, as that is how the photos will appear in your My Disney Experience account. There are also several attractions that will take your photo or a short video while you are riding! Those will automatically load to your My Disney Experience account as well.
HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR PHOTOS
- After your trip, you only have 45 days to download your photos before they expire and disappear!!
- If you are missing a photo, call 407-560-4300 or you can report a missing photo online.
- If you want to edit/download on photo at the time, you can easily do that through your MDE app. However, if you wan to do them all together, it is much easier to do that on a desktop computer/laptop versus a phone or tablet.
- If you would like to edit photos with boarders and more, I recommend making a copy of the picture first, so you also have the original to keep.
- Add all the photos to your cart, then download them all together.
What are Hidden Mickey's?
Quite simply, it’s an artistic representation of Mickey that was intentionally placed amid the architecture and design of the parks and resorts.
Oftentimes it’s the familiar three-circle shape of his ears and head. Other times it might be a profile of his face or a full-body silhouette. Walt Disney World Guests with keen eyes can tell you that Mickey pops up all over the resort, often in the most unexpected places.
Learn more about Hidden Mickeys around the park below.
What is Pin Trading?
Throughout the parks and resorts, you can interact with Cast Members and other guests to trade Disney pins! This is a fun activity that doubles as souvenirs.
You can wear your pins on a lanyard for trading, or place them in a good quality pin trading book, which we highly recommend.
You can opt to purchase pins on property, or you can purchase them in advance. We recommend to purchase some of the mystery packs, which are cheaper per pin. Then, the ones you aren’t in love with are easier to trade out!
Disney Resort Tips
On the day of arrival, your resort will place an authorization hold on your card for any balance due on the reservation—plus $100 for estimated incidental expenses. If your spending exceeds the original $100 hold, additional incremental holds will automatically be obtained. The authorization holds on the card will not exceed the current balance due plus $100.
Payment is processed for the balance due on the account after checkout. For reservations longer than 5 days, the card on file will be charged the current balance on the Resort folio(s) every fifth day of your stay and after checkout. In general, charges will be settled and posted to the card within 1 to 2 days after checkout day.
You will only be charged for what you actually spent and any authorization holds in excess of the balance due will be released after checkout day.
This policy doesn’t change your booking terms and conditions. If you’ve booked a reservation that must be prepaid—or if you’ve opted to provide full payment in advance of your stay—the balance due upon check-in is zero dollars, and only the $100 authorization hold for estimated incidental expenses will be placed on your card.
*If you have any gift cards, you can go to your resort concierge desk every 5th night and ask them to apply the gift cards towards your balance. This allows you to spend on your MagicBand, but still use the gift card towards the balance!
Park Tips: Hollywood Studios
Park Tips: Epcot
Park Tips: Animal Kingdom
