I recently did a poll in my instagram stories and discovered that many of you have trips to Disney World planned this year. Since my last Disney guide was created pre-Covid and things have changed, I decided to share some new knowledge, tips and recommendations from our most recent trip this past December. I hope that this serves as an unfiltered and unbiased guide to help you enjoy and prepare for Disney!
Hotels
We stayed at the Grand Floridian this year. My husband’s parents were kind enough to host us on this trip as our Christmas gift, and they love to do Disney (and any trip, really) all the way! One of the things that brings them great joy is to take their family on vacation and create memories that will last a lifetime. We are so grateful for them, and the beautiful experiences they have created for us. They reserved club level rooms for our group, and although I have stayed at the Grand Floridian previously, I have never had a view of the castle from our room. It was divine! We could see the fireworks at night. To Sloane’s delight, I let out a scream when we walked into the room and saw the castle. I just wasn’t expecting it! The club level also meant that we had our own concierge and complimentary meals and snacks at various times of the day. The free bottled waters and beverages were a really nice perk, and the service we received was bar none.
Although it is hard to beat the Grand Floridian at Christmas, and I love it’s proximity to Magic kingdom…you don’t have to stay there to enjoy it. Visitors can come in and view the traditional Victorian Christmas decor, enormous tree and life size gingerbread house. If I were to go back to Disney (now that I’ve stayed at several different properties and enjoyed the Grand Floridian a few times), I would stay at the Four Seasons again, as their rooms are superior to any of the Disney properties where we have stayed. Although it is a little further away from the parks, it’s really not that far and I will discuss transportation below. My other favorite properties we have stayed at are:
- Four Seasons (High)
- Beach Club (Medium)
- Dolphin Swan (Low)
More details listed in my previous guide here.
Properties I have not stayed at yet, but would try:
- The New Swan Reserve
- The Boardwalk
Planning Tips
I speak to this a little in my previous guide, but planning ahead for your Disney trip is key. I have found that when I plan ahead accordingly, it does take some time and thought – but it’s pretty easy to do using the my Disney Experience app. Disney added the “Genie” in the app – which I have not learned to use, but it is supposed to help you plan.
I have always been really on top of it for previous trips, but this time around, I completely dropped the ball on booking. When I realized I was eligible to start booking online, I was pretty late to the game. So many of things we wanted were completely booked. I worked for hours on multiple days to try and get stuff..and little by little, and I was able to snag a reservation here or there.
Third party Disney planners will only help you with reservations if you book your entire trip through them, and my in-laws booked the trip directly through Disney, so understandably, the Disney planner I spoke with did not want to make reservations for us because that is not how she is compensated. This could have been a good moment to book a VIP guide, but I decided to try a recommendation from the Disney planner I had contacted. There are 2 websites (below) that she recommended and I tried both. One you pay for, and one is free. The one I paid for worked and it notified me when reservations opened up. I had to act quickly, but I was able to book dining at Cinderella’s Castle, O’Hana breakfast and more at the last minute. Also, it’s much easier to book online versus trying to reach someone at Disney. They see the same availability that you do in the app and you have to wait on average about 2 hours to speak with someone. All this to say, if I had done what I usually do and booked on the first day of eligibility, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.
A Few Pointers For Planning Your Own Disney Trip:
–Know your first day of eligibility for booking – This will be 60 days prior to the first day of your trip. Make sure you are available on that day at the earliest time possible to start reserving. If you are staying at Disney property, you can book your complete trip 60 days from the first day your vacation starts. If you are not staying a Disney resort, you have to book on consecutive days, once each day of your trip hits the 60 day out mark. Set a calendar appointment to alert you so you don’t forget!
–Set a calendar notification a week out from your 60 day book date – At this point you should make sure you have everything you want completely planned out by the day, park, etc and have a list of dining reservations in priority order. Know which items on your list are the hardest to get reservations for (i.e. Cinderellas Castle), and put those items at the top of your list. This way, you are completely ready to go when your booking day comes!
–On the day of eligibility, stay up until midnight the night before and use the app or be on the phone by 6am the morning of – It sounds like overkill, but you have to book at the very first moment possible. Everyone else is waiting to do the same thing. It reminds me of when registration for college classes would open up and we would all get up early that day to ensure we got the class times and professors we wanted. Did anyone else do that? The right professor could make or break your whole semester and everyone else wanted them too! Disney is kind of the same. If you don’t get the reservations for the places you want, your trip may not turn out as you are hoping.
–Use a website to help notify you of reservations you are unable to book – Also keep checking in the app the week of and even late at night or early morning the day before you want to go. That’s when most people cancel and things open up.
www.mousewatcher.com – This is the site that worked for me. You pay a small fee for each reservation you are trying to get it and it sends you a notification when something opens up. You must act fast!
www.mousedining.com – This one was free, and it worked, but every time I went on the opening was gone.
–Use the new Genie + and Lightening Lane Pass to shorten wait times and ensure you are able to experience the most popular rides and attractions – I’m not sure why Disney discontinued the fast passes after they re-opened during the pandemic, but I’m sad that they did. The old fast passes made it so much easier to plan your day and know which attractions you would be able to do without waiting in a long line. They now have the new Genie + feature that you have to pay for, which gives you access to be able to then purchase a “Lightening Lane” pass for highly popular rides. They also have limited time slots for these Lightening Lane passes and they can only be booked the day of, starting at 7am. You can only book one at a time and each pass has to be used before you can book another one. So, the best thing to do is book the thing that you care most about first. As you make your way through the day, the lightening pass slots will sell out. It took a minute to get used to the new way of doing things, and I can’t say that I am a fan, but it did save a lot of time for certain rides such as Ratatouille. The alternative is just waiting in line, but many of the attractions have waits that are hours long.
VIP Guide or Not?
I mentioned the VIP guide above, and that brings me to one of my most asked questions about Disney. In the past, I have not felt the need to have a VIP guide, but on our most recent trip, I felt that it would have been beneficial. Some of that feeling is due to the fact that I wasn’t able to plan as well as I normally do, and some of it might just be Disney burnout, or the fact that it feels different post-Covid. After numerous trips to Disney that I have planned myself, it would be interesting to see it through the eyes of a cast member and try new things that I wouldn’t otherwise know about. If you have planned ahead and/or have a Disney planner helping you, it really isn’t necessary to splurge on the VIP guide. We could never justify it nor felt the need in the past. But, if you have a large enough group, and check any of the boxes below, then I might consider it for one or 2 days:
–If you have not had time to plan ahead (You are less than 60 days away) or you are unable to get the reservations that you wanted – A VIP guide can get you to the front of lines and into the places that are booked without a reservation. So all of the things that you want to do on your trip that you weren’t able to sign up for, will be made possible. It takes all the leg work out of it. I would provide a list of things you want to do, and leave the rest up to the magic!
–You have been to Disney several times and planned it yourself and you want to try something different or be introduced to new experiences that you may not have known about on your own – The guides have suggestions and experiences to offer above what the ordinary person may realize is available.
–You want to roll out the red carpet for your family and budget is not a concern – If you are interested in the royal treatment and want the smoothest and most special possible experience (and you are willing to pay the price), then there is no easier way to do Disney. The guide will arrange all of your VIP transport to and from the parks, you will not wait in any lines and you will get behind the scenes access. I’ve heard you can even see the underground tunnels.
–You have limited time and really want to knock it out of the park and best maximize the moments you are there – So much of our time at Disney is eaten up by shuffling from one place to another, waiting in lines and trying to figure out where to go. I can imagine that the guide knows all the shortcuts, scheduling and timing for things to best utilize your time and make the most of your day.
Favorite Rides & Attractions
The last time we went to Disney prior to this most recent trip, was December 2019 (right before the pandemic hit), and Sloane was 6. So, now that she’s 8, we weren’t as focused on the princesses and she wanted to try a few more rides. Although, I will say Sloane and I are not big ride people and anything we did was fairly tame. If you or your kids are into the scarier thrill rides, you can add more of those your list, but my list below will include our favorite things that were mild enough for the little ones and scaredy cats, yet still fun.
This time we decided to skip Animal Kingdom, as we had 4 day pass and wanted to spend more time at the other parks. We went to Magic Kingdom (on two separate days), Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Also, we had a park hopper pass, but could have done without it. We just stayed at one park per day.
Magic Kingdom
- Splash Mountain (Sloane’s favorite thing this time)
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Victory Circle (Car Racing in Tomorrowland)
- Winnie the Pooh
- Haunted Mansion
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Robinson Family Treehouse
- Aerial’s Grotto Ride
Epcot
- Ratatouille
- Frozen Ever After
- Nemo’s Ride
- Santa and Ms. Claus in America
- The Candlelit Processional (for the holidays)
- All the delicious pop up holiday food kitchens!
Hollywood Studios
- Mickey’s Runaway Railway
- Disney Junior Dance Party (a little young, but still cute)
- Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
- Frozen Show
- We tried the more mellow Star Wars ride and it was still too scary for Sloane
- The Toy Story land is cute, but the rides are also too much For Sloane and I.
- Tower of Terror (Chris and his dad rode this – they are the thrill seekers!)
Dining
One of the biggest changes this time around was the absence of the dining plan. We took full advantage of the plan on previous trips and loved having it. This time, we opted for more outdoor walk-up service restaurants and enjoyed some complimentary meals at the hotel…so I guess it worked out that we didn’t have the dining plan. But for most people who plan to come and eat their way through Disney as I love to do, it will be an aspect that is missed. It is rumored that it will come back at some point but there is not an official word on when that will be.
Favorite Restaurants:
- Cinderella’s Table (Magic Kingdom)
- O’Hana Family Breakfast (the Polynesian)
- Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
- Hollywood Brown and Derby (Hollywood Studios)
- Tiffin’s (Animal Kingdom)
- Citrico’s (Grand Floridian)
- The Luau at the Polynesian is amazing but temporarily suspended
Transportation
This is section is a little long because I feel that getting the transportation right as Disney is a challenge, and I’m going to break this down in detail to hopefully make it easier.
From the airport, there are really only three options
- Catching a Lyft or Uber
- Arranging for transportation in advance through a company such as Mears
- Renting a car
I would advise against taking the magical express. This is the complimentary bus provided to those staying at Disney properties that takes you from the airport to the hotel. We did take it to our hotel on our first trip to Disney when Sloane was 3. A mistake I will never make again. The line is outrageously long and it makes multiple stops, which drags out your travel time. My recommendation would be to factor a transportation cost into your Disney budget and avoid the free shuttle if possible.
Taking a Lyft or Uber can be done, but when I am traveling I like to ensure that my transportation is settled before I get there. I do not like the unpredictability of Uber. I have had numerous bad experiences getting into their cars and being scared with the way they are driving, waited in long lines to catch an Uber, and or have them ghost me completely and still charge us. It’s an annoyance that can’t be counted on when you are ready to get to your hotel and start your vacation. The Minnie Mouse vans through Disney are run in partnership with Lyft but that service is currently suspended or I would suggest it.
This time, we scheduled the company that Disney recommends for the airport transport, Mears. The cars and SUV’s are ok. Kind of old… and they are a tad expensive. About $100-$150 one way from the airport to your hotel. However, this is probably the next best thing to renting a car, and might still be a good option if you plan to be at Disney more than 5 days because parking a car will get expensive. They have all of your flight info upfront, hold up a sign with your name on it and find you in the baggage claim.
Chris’ parents rented an SUV because they had a different flight than us, and I thoroughly enjoyed having the car to drive our large group (7 of us) to the parks and just park ourselves. Chris and I have done this in the past as well, and if you happen to have season passes, parking at the parks is free. You do have to pay nightly to park/valet your car at your hotel, so factor that in. We loved having the rental car when we stayed at the Four Seasons, which made the distance from the hotel to the parks unnoticeable, and it was more convenient (in my opinion) than staying on property and using a shuttle or monorail. I personally do not like the monorail because I’m claustrophobic, but a lot of people do ride it and have no problem with it.
Transportation scenarios vary based on where you are staying and where you plan to go, but again, I still think that renting a car is easiest even if you don’t use it every time you leave the hotel. For example, if you are staying at the Grand Floridian, it’s easier to take the monorail, walk or ride the little ferry boat over to Magic Kingdom. However, if you are going to Epcot, then you would want to drive. I have a no bus/shuttle policy when I go to Disney. I learned how much I dislike those buses the first time we went to Disney. I dislike waiting around and sitting in close quarters with people. After leaving the park at the end of the day, there is nothing worse than waiting in yet another line…when you are tired, hot (or cold), and ready to get back to your hotel with a sleeping child. With a rental car, you do have to walk a little further to get to the parking lots, but to me it’s the best case scenario compared to the other options. If you do not have a rental car, the next best thing is to take a Lyft from the park back to your hotel or catch the monorail (which also makes all the stops).
Disney Post-Covid
What I noticed to be different compared to pre-Covid Disney:
–The characters are not as present throughout the parks and at restaurants and interaction is limited – This goes for princesses, character dining experiences, etc.. I just saw less characters overall compared to other trips. The ones we did see could not interact and remained socially distanced. Disney takes this very seriously. They are not allowed to touch you, so they don’t even put the characters in a position where that can happen. They are standing behind a blocked off area and you can take your picture in front. Much different than the days when princesses would kiss you on the cheek, but it works!
–They no longer have fast passes or the dining plan – I know I mentioned this above but these changes are noticeably missing, and it changes the way you plan for and enjoy Disney, so familiarize yourself with Disney’s new way of planning (Genie).
–The Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Party have changed to be just an “After Hours Party” – The party time is less as it now starts at 9pm and it used to start at 6pm, but strangely, the tickets are more expensive. There are less treats and all around less going on during the parties. Is it still worth it the extra $200/each tickets? YES! The holiday parades with snow and firework shows are the best. You also get access to most of the rides without a wait – many of which had long lines earlier in the day. But it’s definitely a late night, and for littles, you can expect that they might be able to hang on for the 9:30pm parade and that’s about it. Thats when the stroller (mentioned below) comes in handy! Sloane slept in there while we waited for the 11:00pm fireworks.
Disappointed by the food and holiday treats this time around. This is usually one of my favorite parts of our trip, but the quality was just off…. I would suggest booking more meals at restaurants off property. If you are staying at a hotel like the Four Seasons or the Dolphin Swan, I would utilize some of their restaurants. Without the characters included in most dining experiences, or a dining plan in place, there isn’t much of a reason to be on property for all of your dining. There are some excellent options at Disney Springs and the off-property hotels.
Ideas for making your trip extra special and easier!
Rent a stroller if you aren’t bringing one. This was the first year that we didn’t bring our own stroller for Sloane and it was evident in the first 5 minutes that we needed one bad. I mean she’s 8!! But, even if your child has outgrown the stroller at home, they have not outgrown it at Disney World! I know technically they call it a double stroller, but it does looks more like a “push cart”. I don’t know what we would have done without it. I call it a lifesaver on wheels.
Buy the Bubble Maker – As annoying as it is, just buy it! Your child will be delighted with it the entire time they are at Disney (and won’t whine every time they see another kid with one). C’mon, nothing says magical like bubbles!
Decorate Cupcakes in Cinderella’s Castle – In comparison to all that you do and see (and spend) at Disney, this may seem like a simple thing, but it is for sure one of Sloane’s favorite things to do. She requests it every time and she has so much fun with it. There must just be something about decorating these cupcakes in the castle that feels extra special to her. This is a dessert option with your meal, so you must have a dining reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table (also my favorite meal).
Add something different and magical to your plans – Book a Fireworks Dessert party. Do this as soon as dining opens, because spots book quickly. We have done it in the past, and I loved it because you have your own little VIP section and you don’t have to hang in the crowd and stand there early to get a spot. A designated spot ideal for viewing fireworks and sweet treats to eat while you watch? Sign me up! They have this at all the parks.
For the little girls, bring some of their princess dresses from home! – You can see my tips from my last guide where I discuss this here.
Book Time at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique Salon – This has been a tradition for us every time, and it’s such a fun experience. You can also have a former boutique cast member come to your hotel and do a private makeover before you head to the park! Here are 2 services you could try:
What to Wear
Planning your outfits for Disney is almost as important as planning your trip 🙂 I talk about this in my last guide more extensively, but this time around it was pretty hot! I hate to overpack, but for Disney you really do need options. If you are going in the warmer months then you can count on the fact that it will be very hot the whole time, but the weather is fickle in December. This time around I ended up purchasing some shirts while we were in the park because everything I brought was too warm. So I needed short sleeves during the day and a sweater at night. I wore jeans and I was ok, but you might want to pack some shorts or even a casual dress. I love Hanna Anderson and Etsy for Disney attire!
Sloane’s Disney Outfits
I hope this was insightful and something you can reference when planning your trip. Peace, love and Disney!!
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