Top Tips for an Enjoyable Disney Holiday
General Organisation
Make a list of things you and the family want to see and do, this way, you won’t miss anything. (This includes places to eat, rides, characters to meet and places you want to see. Try and plan your days, but don't feel like you have to stick to everything on that plan. Make it flexible, just in case you get tired, or want to go to a park/shop/waterpark again.
If you want character dining or to visit specific restaurants/have the Disney Dining Plan, I recommend you book restaurants at Disney for character dining, or have a dining plan. These are available to book from 180 days before and some get booked up very early, so worth booking then if you can. This can be done on the My Disney Experience App.
Fast passes can be booked 60 days prior to your stay and for the full duration. I would recommend for the more popular rides, such as Avatar Flight of Passage, Slinky Dog Dash and 7 Dwarfs Mine Train and work backwards from the end of your stay. Most people go from the start and you are much more likely to find availability! You can also check the extra magic hours in advance, so you can see where you can go early or late! These are again available from 180 days.
If you have the dining plan and don't use all your credits, these can be used towards bags of sweets, either at your hotel or in any of the Disney shops. They can also be used at Ghirardelli's and Goofy's Candy store at Disney Springs. Great for presents when you return home!
Tipping! A controversial subject for many, but it is a way of life in the USA. As a rule, you should tip between 15 -20%, however, this is up to you. If you are a party of 6 or more, an 18% tip will be added onto your bill, automatically at the end of your meal. If you are on the dining plan, you will still be required to pay for the tips and this can be paid by card, cash or Magic Band onto your room bill.
Utilise the extra magic hours. These are times when the parks are only open to guests staying onsite. They are great for getting on all those rides you don't want to queue ages for and getting those magical photos! Get those Magical shots! Use the Memory Maker to its full potential and when you are having your photo taken by a cast member, ask for some magic When using the water parks and staying onsite, you don't need to take towels with you from home! You can rent them for free - saves on that luggage space!
Use the My Disney Experience App for the following: * ride times * opening times * restaurant bookings * fastpasses * a calendar of what you have booked * maps - these help you figure out where you need to go and how to get there! * your room bill * bus times (from the hotels to the parks only) * you can even use your app to get into your room!
You can save $10 per night, if you don't have Mousekeeping (housekeeping in non-Disney hotels!) However, this does mean nothing will be cleaned or changed in your room. You can ask them for new towels, bin bags etc and they will take the old ones away. If you did want your room cleaned, you would just need to pay $10 each time you request it.
If you were staying for 7 nights, you would get $60 onto a gift card, which is sent to your email. It will have a barcode, which is scanned when you wanted to purchase anything. A great way of saving money and housekeeping time, as well as the environment, with not having towels replaced every day!
If you want to take photos when you're at a waterpark and don't want to buy a GoPro, invest in a waterproof pouch (see pic). These were amazing, although I was sceptical at first! They actually keep the water out and you can take photos in the water, with your phone! And they are clear - all of my photos in the water were taken with my phone and they've come out brilliantly. We got ours from Amazon at £10 for 2 pouches, or you can buy them in the parks at $30 each!
Bumbags - went out of fashion in the 80's/90's but are now back! They will be your best friend and I can honestly say, I missed mine when I came home! They can go on rides with you, no achy shoulder from carrying a handbag with loads of stuff you don't need in it (ladies, you know what I'm talking about!) And they are quick and easy to remove if you need to. Bum bags also hold so much stuff! Well worth the purchase in my eyes! At the airport
If you're arriving into Orlando international, you may want to be aware of a few things. Sometimes you can wait long periods of time, on arrival, to get through immigration. It depends on how many flights are due in and how many staff are on the desks. It can take up to an hour and a half to 2 hours (this is extreme but does happen). You cannot use phone during this time, so be prepared for things for kids to do (snacks, books, toys etc) there is no quick way around this unfortunately. However, being prepared is key. If you're taking small children, take carriers or something they can sit on - Trunkis are amazing!
Once you are through security, you collect your bags. Don't get a trolley at this point! You will only have to give it up, the moment you walk less than 100 yards to the door!
You can use the luggage belts, to send your luggage on and pick it up through the airport. This may seem an easier option (especially if like us you had 6 suitcases, a pushchair, 4 cabin cases, a trunki, a car seat and a backpack!) However, you will wait some time for it at the other end.
If you are collecting a car, I can highly recommend from previous experience, to check in online beforehand if you have the option to. This will save you time.
On your return home, arrive at the airport in plenty of time for your flight (I know this seems like common sense) the security queue can be very long. However, be advised that there is very little in terms of shops once you are past this point. There are a few restaurants, a Starbucks and a Burger King!
