With the recent park ticket price hike, going on a week-long vacation to Disney World can become super-pricey. Prices can vary on the time of year you plan your trip, park ticket type (e.g., hopper, single-day), resort and the selection of a dining package (or not); not including souvenirs. All of Disney’s “magic” does come at a price. So get the best out of your investment, I’ve compiled a list of my hacks to make the most out of any trip.
Disney is magical, but can be overwhelming and not for the faint of heart when it comes to planing! There is no denying that, however, there are ways to get the most out of your vacation. Below are some of my best hacks and tips I used when planning our trips to Disney.
Hack #1: Save a Fast Pass
If you only plan to go to Disney once in your life, selecting Fastpasses can be overwhelming. There are so many great ones, but you’re initially limited to 3 per park per day. If you’re unsure what a fast pass is, check out my previous post: http://havingamagicalday.com/disney-101-fastpass/
Below are some hacks to getting more top rides without reserving a Fastpass:
- Book an early breakfast and get in line first
- At Epcot, you can book Garden Grill to get on Soain’ or Akershus to get on Frozen Ever After.
- Additionally, you can book it to Test Track
- At the Magic Kingdom, you can reserve at either Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table and run over to Fantasyland to get on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Peter Pan’s Flight
- At Hollywood Studios, you can reserve Hollywood & Vine to be the first to sign up for Jedi Training OR try to run to Toy Storyland and get on Slinky Dog Dash
- At the Animal Kingdom, you can book Tusker House and try to run to Pandora to get in line for Flights of Passage – this may be tricky
- WARNING: You will need to select the earlier time and make sure it is not a day that has early magic hours.
- Book a Party NOT a Park ticket: If you and your group are more night owls,
then this is the scene you want to be in. There are select night-time events, (e.g., Villians After Hours) and seasonal parties, (e.g., MNSSHP – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party) that are available throughout the year. The caveat is that there are specific times you can enter. For example, the Villian’s After Hours starts allows entry into the park at 7 pm but doesn’t start until 10 pm. There are extended hours. Typically these events are not as packed, and most rides are walk-ons - Book a Dining Package: If you were planning to use a Fast Pass for a show, (e.g., Fantasmic, Rivers of Light) think about a dining package instead. You do have to eat, so depending on the one you select, you maybe only playing the price of the meal.
- Book a character meal: Instead of using your Fast Passes to meet characters, book a character meal. Breakfast will always be the cheapest.
- Utilize the Single Rider Line: There are a couple of single rider lines at Disney:
- At Epcot, there’s Test Track
- At Hollywood Studios there’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
- At the Animal Kingdom, there’s Expedition Everest
Hack #2: Experience Halloween and Xmas during the same visit
Want to experience the magic during Halloween and Christmas, but can’t justify the cost for two trips? Try going to during the last week of October/first week of November. Overnight, Disney removes all the Fall decor and starts to put up the Christmas decorations.
Hack #3: “Pound the App”
Didn’t get that FastPass you were hoping for? Don’t give up! Keep checking your “My Disney Experience App” the day you plan to be in that park and keep refreshing. It’s also a good idea to switch around the criteria, e.g., number of rides, timeframe, etc.. Warning: You will need to be flexible, and it’s not guaranteed.
Do you have any additional hacks? If so, comment down below, I would love to hear about them. And with that, I hope you’re having a magical day!
