Insider tips and tricks for your Disney vacation
Walt Disney World® is truly a world all its own. In fact, there’s so much to see and do, it can be hard to know what to do, and when to do it. So, where should you turn after your flight and hotel are booked? My Disney Experience. This online and mobile tool maximizes your vacation experience and helps you organize everything into one place, including FastPass+, dining reservations and customizable MagicBands.
Insider tip: Make sure you have purchased your theme park tickets in advance. This allows you to start your Disney experience way before you pack your bags - and to save money over buying tickets at the gate as well! Once you've purchased the advance tickets, visit StartYourDisneyExperience.com to find incredible online and mobile tools that will help you personalize your vacation by reserving access to select Disney FastPass+ experiences, customizing MagicBands, making dining reservations, viewing park maps, completing online check-in and more. Simply register or log in to the site, link your reservation number and set up an account profile to unlock your personal guide to the magic.
Then it’s all organized with the My Disney Experience app and website. This guide is the true secret behind a relaxing and unforgettable Disney experience. It brings together your entire trip in one place and connects everyone in your travel group to the same account. You can book your FastPass+, organize your Walt Disney World® Resort tickets, schedule dining reservations, view park maps, mark wish list items, discover hotel events and activities and even set simple reminders. The My Disney Experience app allows you to plan out your entire stay so you spend less time worrying about details, and more time having fun. But don’t forget that if your plans change, so can your itinerary. It’s easy to click on the app to update a FastPass+ time or dinner reservation. After all, the My Disney Experience app isn’t designed to control your vacation, but to make it as simple as possible.
To make sure you get on all your favorite rides, you’ll want to take advantage of FastPass+ by booking 30 days before your trip. And when you stay at Walt Disney World® Resort hotels, you can book your FastPass+ selections 60 days before your trip. Plus, the best part is every FastPass+ selection is organized in your My Disney Experience app. By scheduling times to enjoy favorite attractions, shows or Character greeting experiences, it takes the stress out of waiting in line for hours. This lets your whole family spend more time enjoying the park. Then, by using the My Disney Experience app, you can check wait times for other attractions and explore more of what Disney has to offer.
Next, make sure you book the most popular Walt Disney World® Resort restaurants early. You can do this 180 days before you arrive, and add, change, or cancel at any time using the My Disney Experience app. Since some restaurants are more sought-after than others – like Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom® Park, ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Chef Mickey’s Character Dining at Disney’s Contemporary Resort– you’ll want to book these spots as soon as possible.
Finally, make sure your kids pick out their favorite colors for their MagicBands. This experience will get them excited for their upcoming vacation before they leave. Plus, MagicBands are customizable, so everyone can get their name put directly on the band. But MagicBands are much more than just a cool accessory for the kids. They’re an all-in-one device that connects to all the vacation choices you’ve made online. You can use your MagicBand or card to unlock the door of your Disney Resort hotel room, enter the theme and water parks (with valid admission), check in at FastPass+ entrances, connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account as well as charge food and merchandise purchases to your Disney Resort hotel room. It’s the perfect complement to your My Disney Experience planning guide, and helps create a simple and more stress free vacation for everyone.
With so much to see and do at Walt Disney World® Resort, a few insider tips and tricks really help. And now that you’re familiar with more ways to get the most out of your Disney experience, you can add extra magic to your entire trip. After all, when it comes to vacations, Disney really knows what they’re doing. (And now, so do you.)
