Five Things to Do Differently on Your Next Walt Disney World Trip

If you’ve been to Disney World several times over the years, you probably have some sort of “system” down: you know what hotels you like to stay in, you know what restaurants to dine in, and you know the order of attractions you want to ride. We get it; we totally have our “to do” lists, too!

But what if we were to pose you a challenge: the next time you go to Disney World, try something completely different that you would never consider doing in the past!

There are several benefits to rocking your Disney World boat and doing things a little differently!

Switch up where you stay on vacation.

If you’re a die-hard Disney World hotel fan like we are, the thought of staying off property may have never crossed your mind, and if it has, you may have quickly dismissed it as a silly idea!

What you may not realize is that you can actually save a TON of money by choosing to stay at a hotel just off of Disney World property. Not only will your cost of  accommodations go down significantly, but you may find that you’ll get a bigger hotel room for the price!

Want the best of both worlds? Consider a Disney Springs area hotel! These hotels are practically across the street from Disney World property (and really no further from the parks than, say, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa), and they come with all of the benefits given to on-property guests!

That includes early access to FastPass+ reservations (when available), Early Theme Park Entry (when available), and more! Oh — and it all comes at a lower price than what you would pay at the Disney World Value hotels!

You can also look at vacation rental homes as a potential new option for your overnight accommodations. This can be an especially useful option if you’re traveling with a large group.

On the flip side, if you’ve never stayed at a Disney World resort hotel, now may be a good time to give it a try! We have tons of articles helping you choose which Disney World hotel is right for your family.

Switch up how you get around Disney World.

If you normally rely on Disney World transportation, maybe this next trip is the one where you try renting a car. If you budget the price of parking and renting the car into your vacation, you may find that the flexibility it gives your family is worth the cost.

If you always insist on renting a car, considering doing the opposite and only use Disney World’s complimentary transportation, like the Monorail, the Disney Skyliner, and bus system. You may be surprised at how much money you’ll save!

Change how you DINE at Disney World.

Are you a die-hard Disney Dining Plan fan? While it provides tons of convenience in pre-paying for your food, you will likely SAVE money by NOT opting in to the Dining Plan on your next vacation (as of this writing, the Disney Dining Plan is currently unavailable).

In most circumstances, the only way to save money on the Dining Plan would be to dine at the most expensive restaurants and order the most expensive meals on the menu, and that adds up to a lot of food — often too much food for the average guest! You’ll wind up spending less on food overall if you pay out of pocket and set spending limits each day.

We also recommend you try new restaurants! We know, we all have our favorites that we HAVE to eat at every time we visit. Maybe on your next vacation, choose one new restaurant to try (we have tons of articles on underrated restaurants!). Who knows — that could wind up being your new favorite restaurant!

Change how you plan your days in the parks…

A day in the park can look like a well-oiled machine if you’ve visited enough times. Over the years, we’ve all perfected our plans down to the minute! Next time you visit Disney World, think about throwing your perfect plan out the window (at least a little bit!). Try rides in a new order (some rides are a whole different experience at night!), or try new attractions you would normally pass by on the way to your favorite rides.

Another great tip to consider is to slow down and take your time. Overplanning can often ruin many a Disney World vacation, so take more breaks throughout the day, whether it’s for a bite to eat or you just want to do some people watching (it’s fun, trust us). Planning less in your day can actually wind up in a more memorable vacation overall.

…or don’t go to the parks at all!

Okay, so maybe not at all, but definitely consider some time away from Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom! If your trip is long enough and you can afford to take a day off from the parks, we highly recommend you consider doing so! Relax at your resort, lounge by the pool, sleep in…you’ll be re-charged in no time!

There are also tons of fun recreational activities across Disney World that your family can participate in. These activities can be found at various resort hotels that are open to all guests, like fishing, horseback riding, and boat rentals. There’s also miniature golf courses as well as professional golf courses.

The next time you sit down to plan a Disney World vacation, take a look at the activities you ALWAYS take part in or the choices you ALWAYS make, and see where you can shake things up a bit! You may be surprised at what you’ve been missing out on, and you may discover new ways of doing Disney World that you actually prefer compared to your old habits!

Drop a comment below and share with us a time that you changed the way you did your Disney World vacations that you actually PREFER doing now!