3 Disney Tips to Make the Most of the Magic

We have loved going to Disney, and it can be a lot to manage. What helped make our trip better?

Disney is like this magical beast. There is a lot going on down in Disney World. It is so much fun but it is also just SO much! I'm a very low key traveler, and I plan while being flexible. There is also such a thing as too much planning when it comes to these kind of things. There 3 things that made our trip more enjoyable and can do the same for you!

High fives all around to laid back plans!

Before I get into the nitty gritty of Disney, work with someone to help you book your trip. I've worked with Todd Sanderson two years in a row. He is fantastic at planning Disney vacations. Tell him what you want to do and when, and he makes it happen. Hands down, let someone else handle this for you. It does not cost you a dime and is well worth it.

I provided Todd with:

The dates of our trip
Where we wanted to stay
How many days of parks and those details
Any additional activities like brunches, Hoop Dee Doo Review, etc. so those can be booked as well!

The Hoop Dee Doo Review as a super fun ending to one of our days. Plus, it is right on property at the Fort Wilderness Campground! I highly recommend it.

Once it is all booked, everything syncs up with your Disney app with one place to track and keep up with everything!

What else can make your days better at Disney? I think it is pretty simple. Don't overthink Disney. You are not going to do it all. Accept that and just enjoy what you can on your visit and plan a repeat to do other things. There is nothing wrong with that! And if it is something that you don't plan to repeat, that is okay. Enjoy what you can. I think killing yourself to do as much as possible is awful. Just don't! Disney can and should be fun. Pacing is key.

Where did I get the details on everything current and up to date? Social media!

Get Up to Date Information On Things That Interest You

Call me crazy, but Tik Tok and social media in general is great for up to date and current information about Disney. You can explore everything from:

Best rides recommendations and reviews
Favorite snacks at each park
Best resorts to stay at
Disney pub crawls
Or even best dining at Disney

We like to snack at Epcot and eat food from around the globe. Do not come for me in the comments about how the food is not authentic or pricey. We like it, and its fun to us. Search on Tik Tok for the best snacks at Epcot and there are tons of videos sharing what people love! I watch 3 or 4, if there is a common item I put my money there and may check out those items.

I used social media this time to help me with tips on Lightening Lanes, timing of our days as well as where to go for a character brunch. I feel like the content creators are more knowledgeable than I am. There are content creators out there that do nothing but create content for Disney on a regular and revolving basis. Lean into these accounts.

By searching for up to date information on things that interest you at Disney and travel tips, this is an excellent way to help you customize your visit! I feel like this helps me to choose to do things that I might otherwise skip or even ignore while I'm in the parks.

I loved being able to bike around Fort Wilderness. They have great spots for biking. Plus, you can bike to the pool, shuttles, ferry or the store!

Plan for Breaks and Break Days

Last year, we went to 4 parks in 4 days. It was brutal. We loved it, but we didn't do it that way again.

Pick an optimum time of day where you really want to maximize your time. If you are an early riser, get there early and use your Lightening Lanes to breeze through those lines.
On the flip side, if you like to sleep in and go later, do it. You could arrive at the park late afternoon and stay until close depending on the park close time. This allows you to ride many things when others are leaving the parks.
Plan for designated break days if you can. We did one full day of no parks and split Magic Kingdom into two days to make it less of a grind.
But, you can also just plan for breaks in the day. We go to the parks and leave early afternoon around lunch. We take a break for a few hours, eat an early meal and go back later in the day.

We even enjoyed playing cards after dinner at the campground.

Ultimately, we are not a rope drop to park close family. If I had my pick, I would go mid to late afternoon and stay late. However, I am flexible here and will go early and leave later. Both early and late times within the parks have perks. I would pick one or the other and give yourself some time to relax either before the parks or after. You aren't going to miss anything by not being at the parks all day.

During our afternoon breaks, I hung up a hammock at the campground for afternoon naps!

Lightening Lanes

The whole Lightening Lane business is a bit of a gamble. If you buy Lightening Lane tickets, I would encourage you to:

Purchase your Lightening Lanes early in the day (or if you are up late, you can buy them after midnight on the day you want to use them).
You can purchase your first Lightening Lane 2 hours before the parks open. So, schedule your first Lightening Lane then!
Next, as soon as you check in to the first ride, schedule the next.
They key is to keep moving!

Not every ride has a Lightening Lane option. You cannot use Lightening Lanes multiple times on the same ride. And, you need to schedule them closer together so that you can use them rather than have large gaps between the ones you use.

Keep in mind that some rides offer individual Lightening Lanes. We did that last year at Guardians of the Galaxy. If there is one specific ride that you want to get on, then you can use this option if it is available.

We only bought Lightening Lane tickets at Hollywood Studios this year. I didn't feel like we needed it at Magic Kingdom and Epcot. I used my Disney app. I watched the lane times and navigated based on estimated times.

The most important thing I can stress about Disney is just enjoy it. Don't stress about missing out on one single ride or snack you had your eye on and missed because of a long line you couldn't bear. Let go of FOMO and just live in the moment. I have loved both of our Disney trips. It was so much fun spending time with family and just zoning out for a few days. And, I didn't miss a thing. We enjoyed several new things and revisited some favorites this year.

And if you are thinking about camping at Fort Wilderness, do it! I think that camping at Disney is such a fantastic experience. I loved coming back to the campground mid afternoon and napping in my hammock or going to the pool or biking around the campground. It is such a relaxing fun part of the trip for us.

Until next time...happy camping!