Hi! My name is Audrey and I worked at Walt Disney World. In addition to being a former cast member, I’m a native Floridian and pass holder, so I’ve been there a few times.
That’s certainly possible Good when you go to Disney. How should I know that? When I finally visited Disneyland for the first time a few years ago, I sucked at it. Not knowing what the crowd is going to do, where things are, or not having a game plan means you’ll spend a long time just walking around and not really doing anything.
So here are some time-saving and headache-saving tips that I learned about Disney World from all my time there that will hopefully make you feel like you’re maximizing your time!
1.If meeting characters is a must, character dining is a must.
You can eat and the characters come to you while you sit in the air conditioning. You can get your autographs and photos there, and it will save you waiting in line to meet some A-listers like Mickey and Minnie or Anna and Elsa.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
2.Check the alley between American Adventure and Italy for characters.
On certain days, usually mid-day, characters will sometimes appear between the American Adventure and Italy pavilions. They are unannounced and therefore usually have short lines.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
3.Don’t stop at Spaceship Earth in the morning.
If you go to Epcot, never stop at Spaceship Earth early in the morning. You will do the same as everyone else. Spaceship Earth has to wait about 60 minutes in the morning because it is everyone’s first stop. At night you can basically walk straight ahead.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
4.Ask about rain locations.
Characters who typically meet outside also have a designated rain location, where they go in bad weather. The rain locations are not on the map or updated in the app, so there is usually no line. If it’s raining, keep an eye out for characters in covered areas!
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
5.Eat at one of my favorite places.
I’m not a big fan of burgers; Paying more than $15 for a meal makes me feel nauseous, and I don’t have the foresight to make dinner reservations a month in advance, so here are my dining recommendations if you’re like me:
At Epcot, the Boulangerie in the France Pavilion. The jambon beurre sandwich is delicious and costs $10.95.
At Animal Kingdom, Harambe Market and their chicken and rice bowl for $12.99.
At Hollywood Studios, Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo. My recommendation is the Felucian Garden Spread for $13.29. If they packaged that hummus in bulk and sold it, I would buy it.
At Magic Kingdom, Sleepy Hollow and their Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Waffle Sandwich for $11.59.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
6.Grab the free stuff!
7.Disney Photopass photographers will take photos for you with your camera, so you can take a photo of everyone.
Give staff or Photopass photographers your personal phone so they can take photos for you! All you have to do is ask, and that way your entire party can be included.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
8.Bring a portable charger (or even your phone cord and plug).
It’s really not hard to find an electrical outlet at the parks or resorts, and your phone’s battery is running low. You’ll need it to access the app to book dinners, order food and check wait times, and of course take photos. Your battery will run out. It won’t deflate as quickly as it did in the days of Pokemon Go, but it will be close.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
9.Dine at a hotel and park for free for a day.
Here’s a pro tip: parking at the resorts is free if you have a dinner reservation. If you choose to dine at the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, or Contemporary, you can monorail, boat, or walk to the Magic Kingdom directly from the hotel.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
10.Save your Photopass code as your screensaver.
If you don’t have a MagicBand, Photopass will scan a QR code on your phone to link your photos, or you’ll be given a Photopass card. If you don’t want to worry about pulling out a card every time, you can save that QR code as your phone wallpaper so all you have to do is pull out your phone when you take photos.
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11.If you’re thinking of going early in the morning or late in the afternoon, go in the afternoon
I have one child and he’s not quite Disney age yet, so this tip may be less practical for toddlers, but since the crowds are lighter early in the morning and late at night, you end up with a much emptier park. at night after fireworks. A lunch break at the hotel, where you can recharge your devices and your body, is not a bad idea, as the crowds are greatest in the early afternoon.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
12.Use rider change if you have people who can’t ride.
Rider swap is a service Disney uses where someone can take a ride while someone else stays with the person who can’t ride, then the two people can switch and the person who was left behind can go through the Lightning Lane to ride. It’s a great way to give everyone who is eligible to ride the opportunity to experience it.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
13.Watch parades literally anywhere other than Main Street.
The parade creeps through the entire park. I don’t really understand why people are crowding Main Street to watch it. Check it out on the other side of the parade route in Frontierland to only handle about 1/3 of the number of people.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
14.Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind have different experiences if you go multiple times.
On Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, depending on which part of the train you are in, you can see different things during the ride. While driving you can experience one of six different songs on Guardians of the Galaxy.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
15.Take virtual queues seriously.
If the newest ride or attraction is on your to-do list, pay attention to the virtual queue and try to get on it. Virtual queues are typically open twice a day. If you don’t get into the virtual queue, you have to pay per person for an individual lightning track if you want to ride it at all.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
16.Plan a day without a park.
A day at a Disney park is tiring. And don’t forget: the resorts have so much to offer. Do yourself a favor and don’t buy tickets for every day so you don’t feel the pressure to go to the parks every day. Take a day to unwind, hit the pool, go to Disney Springs and hang out to give yourself a break.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
17.Get the hug photo.
The BEST photo comes before the pose. Characters greet with a hug, and that’s the money shot. Make sure you have the shutter ready for when someone in your party first meets the character.
Audrey Engvalson/BuzzFeed
18.Finally, being a nice person in the parks goes a long way.
The worst versions of people really come out when they’re hot, broke and tired. I bought a onesie a few weeks ago that didn’t have a tag on it, so I brought one with a tag to the register and then hung it back up for the cast member. When I came back to pay after putting it back up, the cast member wrote me a pin saying I was a great person. The bar is that low. Cast members go through it all and they have the power to make your day extra special, even if it’s just a little pin. Be nice!
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Do you have a Disney World tip you swear by? Tell us in the comments below!