Planning and other fun tips

When should you go?

At what time in the year you go to Disney is a pretty personal matter.  You may only have certain times when you can go due to work schedules, holidays, etc. So, while this is by no means a must, here are some things to consider when planning the dates of your trip.

 1.Are you okay with pulling your kids out of school for the trip?

If so, then going during the less busy seasons is a highly recommended option. I have a link, below, with when the crowds are their lowest. In general, the best times are After New Years but before Spring... After Spring break but before Summer vacation early November, and the first two weeks of December. Going during a slow period will allow you more time to relax and enjoy all that Disney has to offer. It will also be easier on your kids (and your nerves) if you don't have to stand in line for hours at a time. If you're not okay with pulling your kids out of school, the below link can also help you sort out the "least of evils" as it were with when to go.

2. What kind of budget are you working with? Again, the site I have linked up below also ranks when it's more and less expensive to visit the parks. Knowing that information may also help gauge exactly when you and your family want to go.

Best and Worst times to visit

Other Fun Tips:

Another great website that I found with fun tips and tricks is My 101 Best Disney World Tips. It's full of nice tips for whether your staying at a resort on Disney property to fun little "Easter eggs" that around each of the four parks.

My favorites are below:

 19. It’s important to know where the crowds are going to go as soon as the park opens.

At Magic Kingdom, they will head towards Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Fantasyland (mainly Dumbo and Peter Pan) and Space Mountain.
At Epcot, they will head towards Soarin’ and Test Track.
At Animal Kingdom, they head straight back to Kilamanjaro Safaris.
At Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania is the main attraction with some people heading towards Tower of Terror and Rocking Roller Coaster.

22. FASTPASS is a wonderful program that Disney offers all their guests. Fastpass essentially reserves you a spot in a shorter line during a specific hour during that day. To get your Fastpass ticket, you will look for the Fastpass machine located outside select rides. You insert your park ticket and it will give you a Fastpass ticket with a return window printed on the front. When the time comes for you to redeem your Fastpass ticket, return to the ride but use the Fastpass entrance. You will then get to skip ahead of all the people in the regular queue and you will feel like a celebrity! See the park map for all the details on which rides have Fastpass. 

** Bonus tip from my pastor and cousin: Have one parent wait in line with the kids to meet a Disney character (or do some shopping or other activity) while the other parents races off to whatever the "BIG" ride is for your family and gets the fast passes. That way you know you'll be able to ride that ride when you're ready and won't have to wait in line.

** Also, while it's true that you can only get one set of Fastpasses at a time, that doesn't mean that you must use it in the allotted window that it shows you. It only means you have to use it anytime from that appointed time on out. So if you know you're going to want Fastpasses for other rides and aren't ready to ride the "BIG" one yet (for our family it will be Splash Mountain) then go get another set of Fastpasses as soon as your allowed to. That way you'll save yourself more time and effort.

37. Rope Drop – Want to experience shorter lines, cooler temperatures and smaller crowds? Just make it to the park about 45 minutes before it opens. This will ensure that you enter the park in front of the crowds. We can typically squeeze in about 10-12 rides in the first hour the park is open. It will take you 3-4 hours to ride that same number of rides later in the day!

41. You can get in line for an attraction up until the park closes. So if the park is closing at 9 pm, as long as you get in the queue at 8:59 pm, you will get to ride!

58. If one of your souvenirs breaks while you are on vacation, Disney will replace it for FREE! Just take it to the nearest store that carries that product and let the Cast Member know the issue. On the last trip, we had to replace 3 different items including a pen that ran out of ink and a lanyard that broke.

And THIS is by far my most prized tip that I found:

62. You do not have to carry your packages around with you all day. You can either have them sent up to the front of the park to pick up on your way out or if you are staying on Disney property you can have them sent to your resort’s gift shop (next day).