Walt Disney World is one of the most magical vacation destinations on Earth. However, it can also be challenging, expensive, frustrating, scorchingly hot and the epicenter of toddler (and adult) meltdowns.
The version of Disney World you get is largely in your own hands.
Luckily, there are easy expert-tested tips for visiting Disney World. Use these tips to save money, have fun and ensure your 2025 Disney World vacation is a success.
Consider a summertime visit this year
This year will bring a number of changes to Disney World, with several new attractions opening across various parks.
This summer, the Magic Kingdom will debut “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away,” the first new nighttime parade at Disney in almost a decade. Meanwhile, Epcot will see a new Spaceship Earth-themed lounge open in late spring, followed by the reopening of a reimagined Test Track in late summer.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” and the new “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” shows will also take to the stage this summer.
Use our favorite dining hacks
In addition to their published menus, many of our favorite Disney World restaurants — including Nomad Lounge in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs and Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen at the Magic Kingdom — have off-menu “secret items.”
Sometimes, these secret menus can save you some big bucks. For example, you can get Ohana noodles from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort without paying the hefty prix fixe price of an Ohana dinner by ordering a bowl from Tambu Lounge next door. It’s not on the menu, but you can ask for it.
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SUMMER HULL/THE POINTS GUY
Another of our favorite ways to save on Disney dining is to settle in at one of Disney World’s many atmospheric lounges rather than hitting up a table-service restaurant at every meal. You’ll still have a table and a server, but you can order from a menu of lighter bites and creative cocktails without spending too much on an expensive meal.
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Related: Why Epcot is now Disney World’s must-do park
For example, at Space 220 Restaurant in Epcot, the set lunch menu costs $55 for adults and $29 for children. However, you can still enjoy the space view in the lounge, which offers heavy appetizers ranging between $12 and $18.
Some of Disney World’s best lounges include the previously mentioned Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Geyser Point Bar & Grill at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Steakhouse 71 Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Sanaa Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Kidani Village.
Lastly, if you don’t feel like sitting down in a restaurant or lounge after a long day at a park, ordering takeout from some of Disney World’s most popular restaurants is a great alternative dinner option. Just type “to go” into the My Disney Experience app search bar to see a list of restaurants where you can mobile-order a full meal. You can take your food back to your room or to the nightly outdoor movie showing at your Disney World hotel.
Create your own souvenirs
Recreation cast members at Disney World resorts run free daily activities, from poolside trivia to evening s’mores around the campfire to movies under the stars. They also offer paid activities where you can make fun do-it-yourself souvenirs, such as tie-dyed Mickey T-shirts.
At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, for example, you can choose colored nuts and string to make your own kukui nut lei ($15 for kids and $20 for adults). Several Disney World resorts also have Community Halls where guests can watch movies, play games and make crafts — either for free or a small fee.
Know when you can make your Lightning Lane selections
If you are staying at a Disney Resort hotel (including the Swan and Dolphin properties or Shades of Green), you can purchase Lightning Lane passes up to seven days before your vacation at 7 a.m. Eastern time for the entire length of your stay (up to 14 days).
You can read the full details in TPG’s guide, but this gives you a head start over off-site guests, who can only purchase and begin planning their Lightning Lane selections up to three days in advance. Lightning Lane passes for popular attractions get snatched up quickly, so have a plan for which attractions and return times you prefer before your booking window opens. This will give you the best shot at skipping the line for Disney’s top-tier rides at your preferred times.
Snag hard-to-get dining reservations
You can book Disney World dining reservations 60 days in advance. However, guests staying on Disney World property with their booking linked in the My Disney Experience app can make reservations 60 days plus the length of their stay in advance. In other words, guests staying for five days can book some meals 65 days before their arrival.
This further-out booking window means you’ll have a better chance of scoring the most desirable reservations, which often sell out more than 60 days in advance.
Some of the hardest-to-snag reservations include Cinderella’s Royal Table, Space 220 Restaurant, Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera, Oga’s Cantina, Ohana and Roundup Rodeo BBQ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
You’ll want to book these (or your most coveted restaurant) as soon as your booking window opens. Guests have until two hours before their reservation time to cancel, so something could always open up at the last minute if you keep checking.
If you want someone else to do the hard work for you, there are websites specifically designed to alert you when a hard-to-find reservation opens up. The Disney planning site TouringPlans has a free alert service that will notify you via text or email when a reservation for your chosen date and time range becomes available.
Related: The best $120 I’ve spent at Disney this year got me into the Magic Kingdom’s secret tunnels
Take advantage of free ice water
Bringing a refillable water bottle to the parks is never a bad idea. However, if you need some water on the go, ask for a free cup of ice water at any quick-service location serving fountain drinks.
Oftentimes, a Disney cast member will be stationed at the door checking for mobile order return notifications, so just let them know you’d like a cup of ice water. They’ll direct you to a numbered pickup counter to grab one.
Save money by choosing your dates carefully
Just like it costs more to fly or book a hotel during busy weekends and holidays, it also costs more to get entrance tickets to Disney World at certain times of the year.
Ticket prices vary by date and park, with some days being significantly cheaper than others. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is positioned as the least expensive park, while the Magic Kingdom is the priciest park. Single-day tickets start at $119 per person for Animal Kingdom and can cost up to $199 each for the Magic Kingdom.
Related: These are the best times to visit Disney World
Additionally, the cost of the reduce-the-line Lightning Lane pass varies by day. It costs more on busier days (and has even sold out on a few occasions), so the price differences can add up if you want to go to Disney World on a peak date.
Opt for other payment options besides cash
An easy way to shave anywhere from 3% to 10% off the cost of your trip is to buy discounted Disney gift cards to use for everything — your Disney hotel or Disney Vacation Club dues, park tickets, merchandise and dining.
You can get them from Target (there’s a 5% discount when using a Target Circle™ Card) or from Sam’s Club and BJ’s at a 3% to 4% discount. Even if you don’t get a discount, you can earn bonus points on your rewards credit card by strategically buying Disney gift cards at grocery stores and office supply stores.
Some cash-back credit cards also include wholesale warehouses in their quarterly cash-back categories, boosting your overall savings. Chain retailers like Meijer, Kroger and Lowe’s occasionally run promos that can nab you even more savings on gift cards, too, so you may be able to get up to about 10% off.
If your heart is set on one of Disney’s Deluxe resorts but your wallet says otherwise, you can often save money on pricey nightly rates by renting Disney Vacation Club points.
Depending on which credit cards you keep in your wallet, you may also be able to redeem points for your Disney World tickets or a points hotel near Disney World.
The information for the Target Circle Card credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Assume it will rain — and plan accordingly
This is Central Florida, so there’s always a chance you’ll get stuck in a pop-up afternoon thunderstorm. The right preparation can mean letting a little rain roll off your (covered) back instead of drenching your parade. You can get “rain ready” with these tips:
- Wear waterproof shoes (read: no sneakers and socks that can get soaked).
- Bring a travel umbrella and a poncho or rain jacket.
- Cover your stroller with a waterproof cover whenever there’s even the slightest chance of a shower.
- Consider the forecast when you choose what to ride first (you may need to prioritize outdoor rides).
Many of Walt Disney World’s outdoor attractions close temporarily during rain and lightning. If you have your heart set on a top-tier ride (such as Slinky Dog Dash, Test Track, Expedition Everest — Legend of the Forbidden Mountain or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train) don’t wait until the end of the day to try to ride. If you do and rain comes your way, you could be out of luck.
Carefully consider where you stay
Disney World has some truly fabulous resort hotels — but they regularly cost $500 or more per night. If your budget can’t quite handle such a splurge, consider some of Disney’s Moderate hotels (here’s our favorite hidden gem) and renovated Value options.
Related: The best hotels near Disney World you can book with points
If a traditional Disney property isn’t feasible for you, remember that you can get several of the same perks you’d receive if you stayed on property at the Swan and Dolphin properties or one of the Disney Springs hotels. As an added bonus, many of these properties participate in major hotel loyalty programs like Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors.
Take advantage of free water park visits for Disney hotel guests
Disney Resort hotel guests can start their 2025 vacation off with a splash with a free water park visit on their check-in day. Tickets to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks typically cost $74 plus tax for adults and $68 plus tax for kids ages 3 to 9. (Kids under 3 are free at all Disney World parks.) This perk can save you a nice chunk of change and get the vacation fun going as soon as you arrive on the property.
This offer is only available to guests at one of Disney’s official hotels — so consider either taking the early flight or staying off-property on your arrival day to make the most of your check-in day. When you book your 2025 stay, Disney will send information before your arrival on how to take advantage of your free water park visit.
Have a plan for getting on the newest rides
Disney knows that guests are clamoring to get on new attractions like Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom. The company also knows the experience starts diminishing when guests have to wait in line for four or five hours per ride.
To keep wait times under control, Disney uses a virtual queue system when it opens new rides. Rather than a traditional standby line, guests can try for a virtual queue spot on the My Disney Experience app. Typically, rides that use a virtual queue also offer a Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Single Pass option, giving guests multiple avenues for getting on popular rides.
There are two opportunities to join: at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. There is an additional option for Deluxe hotel guests at 6 p.m. during extended theme park hours. You can try for the 7 a.m. slot from the comfort of your hotel bed, but you must be in the park where the ride is located for the 1 p.m. opportunity.
The amount of time that the virtual queue system stays in place for a particular ride depends on its popularity. For example, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has been open for over two years and still uses a virtual queue instead of a traditional standby line.
Allow time for a resort day (or 2)
There’s so much to do around Walt Disney World that you could easily fill several days with activities that don’t require buying a park ticket. If you’re visiting for several days, consider adding some activities outside the parks.
Try a round of miniature golf — or 18 holes of the real thing — in the morning or some pool time in the afternoon. Visit Disney Springs for dinner and a showing of Cirque du Soleil’s “Drawn to Life.” Or, consider “Drawn to Life’s” ultimate Page to Stage experience for a behind-the-scenes tour and a keepsake souvenir.
Another good time to plan a resort day is before annual after-hours events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Those go well into the night, so you’ll need to save up some energy.
Save character dining for nonpark days
Character meals tend to be a trip highlight, but too often, guests make the mistake of trying to cram a morning character breakfast into an already full park day. Instead, save those character meals for a resort day, special dinner on your arrival night or farewell breakfast on your departure morning.
Book breakfast as late as possible if you have your heart set on a particular in-park character meal. Make it a brunch so you can save your early morning hours for scoring shorter waits on rides.
Trade fireworks and parades for shorter lines
If parades and nighttime spectaculars aren’t must-see activities for you — especially if you have multiple days in the same park — skip the show and hop in line for a popular ride instead. You’re all but guaranteed a shorter wait.
Keep an eye on character meet-and-greet hours
Many character meet-and-greets start later and end earlier than when the parks open and close. Be sure to check any must-meet character’s appearance times in the My Disney Experience app; this way, you can avoid the heartbreak of missing out on a Winnie the Pooh hug or Wookiee fist bump from Chewbacca.
Know how to get in early or stay late
Disney lets resort guests staying on property or in select affiliated hotels (like the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin properties and the Disney Springs hotels) into any of the four main theme parks 30 minutes early to begin enjoying select attractions.
Additionally, on select nights, those in Deluxe Disney resorts (and, again, including those at the Swan and Dolphin hotels and Shades of Green) can stay two hours after the parks close to enjoy select attractions with relatively minimal waits.
Usually, Epcot and the Magic Kingdom alternate staying open late on select nights. On nights that Epcot is open late, travelers staying in eligible resorts get an extra chance to get a virtual queue boarding pass to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Make your mobile orders in advance
Using the mobile order option in the My Disney Experience app can save a ton of time when ordering food from quick-service restaurants. But, on busy days at popular spots, the return times can get backed up quickly.
You can dodge this whole situation by placing your order and setting your ideal return time early in the day. Or, keep an eye on return times to ensure you place your order before your desired window is gone. You can always modify your return window within Disney’s app if you need to change it.
Bottom line
Between having the right gear in your theme park bag, knowing about the hidden layers of magic built into Disney and following these practical tips, you’re well on your way to being a Disney World pro. Not to mention, you’ll be saving time and money.
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