As a family that loves all things Disney, we’ve studied and followed so much advice over the years, and have found things that work for us, and things that are no longer important for our trips to the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Here are 10 Things We No Longer Do at Disney World:
1. Skip the Boardwalk area
If you’ve followed this blog or my Facebook page, you already know the Boardwalk area—located behind EPCOT around Crescent Lake—is our favorite spot in all of Walt Disney World. For years, we heard all the hype about the monorail resorts, but once we discovered the Boardwalk area, there was no turning back.
Even if we’re not staying in the area, we always make a point to dine there or exit EPCOT through the International Gateway just to spend time along the Boardwalk. Whether it’s renting Surrey bikes, dining at one of the restaurants, hopping on a Friendship boat, playing games, catching entertainment, relaxing at a lounge, or browsing the shops—there’s truly something for everyone.
Surrounding Crescent Lake are three Disney resorts: Disney’s Yacht Club, Beach Club, and BoardWalk Inn. You’ll also find the Swan and Dolphin hotels, which aren’t Disney-owned but are an amazing value. They’re incredibly close to the parks and come with many of the same perks as Disney Deluxe Resorts.
Being able to walk or boat to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios makes this one of the most convenient places to stay on property. Plus, the Skyliner station is just outside EPCOT’s International Gateway, giving you even more easy access to other resorts and activities without needing a park ticket.
We highly recommend making time to visit this area—you won’t regret it!
Looking for fun things to do outside the theme parks at Disney? [Click here.]
2. Stress over Dining Reservations
If you read Disney blogs or hang out in those Facebook groups, you’ve probably seen the same restaurants mentioned over and over. It can start to feel like if you don’t grab one of those hard-to-get reservations, your trip just won’t be magical. I’m here to tell you—don’t stress.
There are so many dining options at Disney. Even if you don’t get into Space 220 or Cinderella’s Royal Table, you’ll absolutely find something everyone will enjoy.
I used to obsess over making sure we had every popular restaurant booked for each trip. But honestly, it gets exhausting trying to stalk the reservation site or waking up at 6 a.m. EST to grab something as soon as the window opens. (By the way, I handle all that for my clients!)
Some of those “must-do” restaurants are overhyped in our opinion, and there are plenty of hidden gems that deserve more love. Don’t get me wrong—we still have our favorites. But over time, we’ve learned to go with the flow, try new spots, and we’ve often been pleasantly surprised.
[Click here] to see our favorite quick-service restaurants, and [here] to check out our top table-service picks.
Want all of my best dining tips in one place? [Click here.]
3. Buy as many Souvenirs
We all want that special souvenir to remember our Disney trip, but it’s easy to go overboard. Over the years, we’ve collected more than our fair share of magnets, MagicBands, refillable Disney mugs, park maps, brochures, clothing, and random knick-knacks. Most of it ended up packed away in totes, never displayed, simply because we didn’t have the space.
It wasn’t until a big move that we realized just how much Disney stuff we had—and how little of it we actually used or appreciated.
Now, we stick to maybe one meaningful item per trip, if any. It has to be something we truly love and know we’ll use, which usually ends up being clothing.
Some of my favorite souvenirs are the Starbucks Disney mugs, the Rancor Beer Flight from Oga’s Cantina, and a few of those classic refillable Disney mugs—perfect for when I need a little extra Disney magic at home.
4. Have a strict touring plan
Whew—guilty as charged, and my family would totally back me up on that! On our very first trip, I had a packed touring plan that had us zig-zagging all over the park to avoid lines. It worked in theory, but in reality, it was exhausting.
My family quickly let me know they preferred a more relaxed pace. They’d rather stick to one area of the park, finish those rides, and then move on—even if it means waiting a few extra minutes. These days, we follow a loose touring plan based on what we know is most efficient, but we also build in time to slow down and explore.
Over the years, we’ve learned that some of our best memories came from those spontaneous, unplanned moments. It’s smart to have a simple plan with a few must-do rides or shows, but don’t forget to leave room for the unexpected—like stumbling on a live performance, grabbing a snack you weren’t planning on, or just soaking in the atmosphere.
I totally understand the mindset of wanting to do everything because the cost of a Disney ticket is no joke. But rushing from ride to ride can make you miss the little magical details that make Disney so special.
Some of our favorite memories came from moments we never planned—like chatting and laughing with strangers in a long line for Slinky Dog Dash while playing a game of Heads Up. On a recent girls’ trip, we ended up in another long Slinky line and had the best time just sharing stories and enjoying each other’s company.
5. Rope Drop Every Day
This is probably one of the most common tips you’ll come across when planning your Disney trip—and it is an important one. Rope dropping (arriving before the park opens) can give you a huge head start on the day.
That said, it’s just not realistic to rope drop every day and also stay out late for park closing or extended evening hours. You’ll burn out fast. We usually rope drop most days, but we always plan at least one morning to sleep in and recharge.
If you’re not a morning person, or if your family prefers a slower start, that’s totally fine. Skip rope drop and instead book your Lightning Lanes (Disney’s line-skipping service) for later in the day.
Closing down a park can be just as effective as rope dropping—especially after the nighttime shows, when a lot of guests head out. One important tip: as long as you get in line for a ride before the official park closing time, you’ll still be able to ride, even if the wait stretches past closing.
So whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, there’s a strategy that works—you don’t have to do both.
6. Stay in the Park All Day
We have never stayed in a park all day—and I doubt we ever will. The closest we came was during Disney World’s 50th anniversary. We started the day in EPCOT and then hopped to Magic Kingdom, but even then, we got a later start in the morning.
“Peopleing” all day is just too much for us. Our sweet spot is rope dropping super early, heading out after lunch, and then returning to a park around dinner. That has always been our secret to keeping everyone happy!
If you’re going during the warmer months (which, let’s be honest, is most of the year at Disney World), I highly recommend starting early and leaving midday—this is when the heat peaks and the crowds start building. Then head back in the evening when it’s cooler and less chaotic.
Don’t forget to take advantage of all your Disney Resort has to offer: swimming, poolside games, crafts, movies under the stars, roasting marshmallows, shopping, and dining. Resorts are often much quieter during the day, making them a perfect escape. You can leave the parks for a break at a resort (even if you’re not staying there) and enjoy lunch or dinner—no crowds, and the food is usually better too.
For my best tips for Disney World, [click here].
7. Go Without Purchasing Lightning Lane Multi Pass
If you’re new to Disney’s Lightning Lane Multi Pass, [click here] to learn more. It still stings a bit to pay for what used to be free FastPasses, but using Lightning Lane is really the best way to avoid long lines. Now that we can schedule them before our trip, touring feels so much more seamless.
One thing we rarely pay for are the Lightning Lane Single Passes—those headliner attractions in each park. Since these are an a la carte purchase for each person, we recommend either rope dropping those rides or hitting their queues late at night to avoid the extra cost. Plan ahead and you can save some money by skipping the Single Passes.
That said, the Lightning Lane Multi Pass is definitely worth it for us because it lets us accomplish so much more in a day.
Here’s my biggest tip for using the Lightning Lane Multi Pass: keep modifying your ride times! After booking a ride, if the time is later than you’d like, keep trying to change it. Disney releases new Lightning Lane availability throughout the day, and other guests often change their plans. Taking advantage of this can get you earlier times and save you wait time.
8. Skipping Extended Evening Hours (and Sometimes Early Entry)
If you’re staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, don’t miss the Extended Evening Hours offered at select parks on select days. These typically happen on Mondays and Wednesdays, usually at EPCOT and Magic Kingdom, but at times can be Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom. Extended Evening Hours run two hours past the official park closing, and Disney scans your MagicBand or entry card at each attraction to confirm you’re a qualifying guest. This means much shorter wait times during those hours.
We’re often surprised by how many guests aren’t aware of this perk and miss out on it. Since Disney doesn’t publish these dates very far in advance, it’s important to keep an eye out for them as your trip gets closer so you can take full advantage.
Don’t forget that Disney also offers Early Entry into every theme park every day, 30 minutes before official park opening, for all Disney Resort guests. This is another great perk and a perfect opportunity to knock out a headliner ride without having to pay extra for Lightning Lane access.
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9. Try All the Instagram-Worthy Treats & Snacks
Planning a trip is exciting enough, and then Disney drops news about new treats coming to the parks—and of course, we want to try them all because they look amazing in pictures!
After doing this for a few years, we’ve learned that many of these eye-catching treats can be pretty underwhelming once you actually try them. (I’m looking at you, Instagram cupcakes!) They tend to be heavy on food coloring, and honestly, we’re over the red or green mouths. LOL
Now, we make a list of new foods we want to try, then follow some of our favorite Instagrammers and TikTokers for honest reviews. We add the ones they recommend to our list so we don’t miss out on the good stuff.
If you’re visiting EPCOT during one of the festivals, don’t forget to download the free Food & Wine app. It lets you see star ratings for all the offerings and even lets you mark the ones you want to try so you don’t miss any.
For our favorite snacks, [click here].
10. Packing Tons of Things and Taking So Much into the Parks
This is one thing I wish I’d learned earlier—don’t pack so much! Between ponchos, water bottles, reusable straws, moleskin, first aid kits, snacks, and more, the list can get overwhelming. Usually, I end up carrying it all, trying to cram everything into my hipster purse.
Sometimes, if I know we’ll be out most of the day (like at Universal), I bring a backpack stocked with ponchos and essentials. But most of the time, we skip all that unless heavy rain is expected. We don’t even pack water anymore since you can get free cups of ice water at quick service locations throughout the parks. I do keep Nuun tablets in my purse, but the tap water hasn’t bothered us.
It’s a delicate balance between not wanting to carry a heavy backpack and being prepared for anything. Since we don’t stay in the parks all day, I usually just take my purse and skip the backpack.
I will say, once while waiting in the Millennium Falcon line, it took longer than expected, and the person in front of me pulled out turkey sandwiches to snack on—I would have happily paid $10 for that sandwich! But again, we prefer to grab food when we exit rides rather than lugging it around all day.
Disney has First Aid stations in every park, so if you need a bandaid or antibiotic ointment, it’s just a quick stop away. If you need directions, just open the My Disney Experience app for easy navigation—you don’t even need to carry a paper map.
Of course, do whatever works best for your family!
Be prepared for anything that might happen on your trip by reading this blog.
For all my tips and tricks, [click here].
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