Disney Top Tips: Direct From The Cast Members

1. Download the apps

Disneyland and Disney World both have their own app, on which you can plan out your whole day. You’ll be able to see show times for every show, parade, or character meet and greet, as well as where on the map they are located. You can also check wait times for every attraction, keep track of your FastPasses, make dining reservations, and mobile order food at select locations. It is your one stop shop for all things Disney Parks. The bonus, if you’re visiting Disney World, is that you can plan your Fastpasses ahead of time, before you even arrive for your vacation, which is definitely a time saver so you can enjoy your park experience without trolling the app all day trying to plan as you go. 

2. Know before you go

Disneyworld.disney.go.com and disneyland.disney.go.com are constantly updated with the most up to date information about park happenings, refurbishments, temporary closures, special events, and offerings, and especially now with Covid practices in place, it is so important to do your research before heading to the parks! These websites are so helpful, and you can even use them to book your entire vacation from resorts, to park tickets, and when the season calls for it: parties! You can perform a search for articles related to anything you may be curious about, as well as submit questions or concerns which are usually answered in a timely manner! 

3. Go with the flow and remember to hydrate

It is so easy while you’re at home clicking away on the app or website to jam pack your vacation schedule so that every moment is accounted for, but you may quickly come to find that the fast paced schedule you set for yourself may not actually be your park style, AND, it may not lend itself to allowing you any spontaneity during your trip! We recommend always having water on hand - every quick service location in the park will give you free ice water, you only have to ask, this will help you avoid fatigue, or overheating! In the event that you do begin feeling the effects of dehydration, don’t be afraid to skip or cancel a FastPass in favor of finding a shady spot to sit and regroup, or even head back to your hotel for a rest, or some pool time, because you can always come back to the park later in the day. 

4. Fastpass+

It is important to gauge where your group is at when it comes to deciding which rides or attractions are on everyone’s must do list. For example, If you’re heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and everyone must do Kilimanjaro Safaris, but only one person wants to go on Everest, we recommend booking a FastPass for the Safari, and allowing the person who wants to go on Everest use the Single Rider Line! Single Rider is a great feature to use because the line is generally shorter than the regular Stand-by Line, the only catch is that if you send your whole party through Single Rider, you will not be seated together, so definitely try to use this where applicable as it is intended. This is where your research will come in handy, because it will ensure that you get FastPasses for what the whole group or majority would prefer to do, and still allow individuals from the group to take their solo adventures and check things off their must do list as well. 

5. Have fun!

It’s really easy to get caught up in the planning and wanting everything to go smoothly and as scheduled, and forget to enjoy yourself, so the most important tip we will impart on you, readers, is to have fun! Take all the photos, eat that Mickey Pretzel or Ice Cream bar, meet that character you’ve been dying to meet, and go easy on yourself, because it’s not that easy to be a Guest. As former Cast Members, we recognize that while it is a privilege to be able to visit a Disney Park, it is also easy to let the small frustrations you didn’t plan for rain on your parade. So take a breath, take a break, take in the sights and sounds and just enjoy the time you’re spending in whichever park you find yourself in. The magic is truly all around, and we hope you can enjoy yourselves!