We Visit Disney Weekly. These 11 Habits Set You Apart as a Disney Parks Pro.

There can definitely be a steep learning curve for first-timers visiting Disney theme parks, and despite the overwhelming wealth of Disney planning information available online these days, there’s really no greater teacher than experience.

Since my first trip to Walt Disney World as an adult over 17 years ago, my personal touring style has evolved tremendously, and I’ve developed a repertoire of useful habits I’ve found to make my time in the parks more enjoyable.

We are Disney pros and at least one member of our Mickey Visit team is in the parks every single week.

Tips From a Disney Pro

The following eleven habits reflect my individual quirks and preferences when visiting the Disney theme parks, but they are tried and true practices that help me and my family have the best possible time on every trip. Here are eleven ways you can master your park days and tour Disney like a pro!

Wearing Comfy Shoes

While I’m all for doing Disney in style, when it comes to touring the parks, I don't sacrifice comfort for fashion. Disney theme parks require 10+ miles of walking each day, and I have yet to find a sandal or casual shoe that can keep my feet as happy after a couple of days in the parks as a quality pair of running sneakers will. However, no one likes soggy shoes, so I prefer to come prepared for rain or water rides with some waterproof hiking sandals in my backpack. I also find that switching my shoes throughout the day seems to prevent blisters.

You can see our top best shoes for Disney World here.

Rope Dropping

Getting into the parks before the crowds arrive is an essential practice to adopt at Disney Parks if you want to maximize time on attractions and enjoy the shorter wait times in the morning. Disney pros call it “rope-dropping,” and to do it properly, guests should plan to arrive at the park entrance at least 45 minutes to an hour before the park opens.

Most of the time, the parks will go ahead and let guests enter the gates and queue up in a central area until the time comes to disperse into individual lands. Rope dropping is especially important if you want to avoid the steep cost of Lightning Lane Multi Pass and will be touring the parks without Lightning Lanes. By arriving early, my family is often able to fill our theme park mornings with nearly all our favorite attractions.

Taking a Midday Break

Leaving the parks after lunch and returning to our resort for some downtime is something my family started doing when my kids were young and needed midday naps. We quickly discovered taking this time away from the afternoon heat and peak crowd levels is non-negotiable for our optimal enjoyment on a park day. There are times when we have broken our own rule and tried to power through in an attempt to fit in more attractions and experiences, but we almost always regret it, if not soon after the decision has been made, then by the end of the evening when our feet are aching and exhaustion takes hold.

After rope-dropping and a morning full of attractions, taking some time to relax at the resort pool, lounge in the comfort of your hotel room, or soak up the resort theming while enjoying a good book will allow you to reenter the parks in the early evening feeling refreshed rather than frustrated and tired from an afternoon spent trying to out-maneuver the masses. After a midday break, everyone in your party will be well-rested and better able to enjoy everything the parks have to offer, with more patience and better mental and emotional bandwidth to handle unexpected obstacles or mishaps.

Sticking to a Wait Time Limit

Sticking to a wait time limit is a personal preference but also a good rule of thumb for anyone who wants to save their feet and avoid spending valuable park time waiting for attractions. I like to keep wait times 20 minutes or less for most rides, but that threshold can fluctuate depending on crowd levels and my priorities. For instance, if the wait times have been high all day, I would wait 30-45 minutes to ride a favorite attraction rather than missing it completely. I almost never wait a full 60 minutes for anything (even a brand new attraction) unless it’s an absolute must-do with wait times that don’t ever fluctuate, no matter what time of day it is or how low the crowds may be.

This practice becomes more difficult to follow without Lighting Lanes, but I rarely purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass and still manage to avoid lengthy queues by maintaining reasonable expectations and being willing to make some sacrifices to keep my overall park experience as pleasant as possible. I find there's almost always a ride-worthy attraction nearby with a low to moderate posted wait time.

You can establish a wait time limit that works best for your party and use the My Disney Experience or Disneyland app to see what crowd levels are like in specific areas of the parks.

Staying on Property

I know there are plenty of Good Neighbor hotels and themed Airbnbs out there that may seem like a better deal, but the benefits of staying at a Disney Resort hotel are always worth the cost to me at Walt Disney World. Staying at a Disney resort is about more than the accommodations themselves, although those are typically well-themed and pristine, with lots of magical Disney touches. Proximity to the parks, access to various transportation options, extended park hours, recreation and amenities, and quality on-site dining are all factors I consider when choosing a resort for each trip.

Speaking of beating the masses, Disneyland Resort Hotel guests have access to two private entrances to Disney California Adventure: one through the Grand Californian Hotel and one for Paradise Pier Hotel guests into the Paradise Gardens section of the park.

Last, but certainly not least, Disney Resort hotel guests are eligible to make advanced dining reservations for their entire stay at 60 days out. Those staying off-property will only be able to book dining for the first day of their vacation at the 60 day mark and will have to wait to book dining for subsequent days one 60-day mark at a time.

That said, at Disneyland there are a number of great walking distance Disneyland hotels that are worth your consideration.

Utilizing Extended Park Hours As A Disney Resort Hotel Guest

Not only does the Disney resort experience immerse you in the magic, but at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel can take advantage of Early Entry to the parks 30 minutes before the official opening time. Although I still miss the days of “Extra Magic Hours,” when Disney Resort hotel guests could spend an entire hour in the parks before they opened, Early Entry is nothing to shrug at. Beating the masses through the gates to those shorter queue lines for the first few rides of the day is a valuable perk almost worth a resort stay by itself.

Guests who stay at a deluxe resort or villa at Disney World are also eligible for extended evening hours in the parks on select nights, with additional opportunities to snag a spot in the virtual queues for TRON: Lightcycle/Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Again, this is a huge perk for those who don’t mind staying up late.

Driving to Disney World Parks

I know Disney World transportation can be magical, and we still find occasion to use the water taxis, ferries, Skyliner, Monorail, and sometimes even the buses during our trips, but I can’t overemphasize the benefit of driving to the parks if you’re a Disney Resort hotel guest. Even for those who fly into Disney World, renting a vehicle may be worth the time that driving could save you by providing you with an alternative to waiting for the bus and other Disney transportation at the end of the night.

Parking at the theme parks is free for Disney Resort hotel guests, and although you’ll have to walk back to your vehicle, it beats standing in line on Disney feet for half an hour, only to remain standing in the “motor coach” on the ride back to your hotel because it’s packed to capacity. Hours lost stranded at the Contemporary because the Monorail is down, or because there is mysteriously no bus to take you back to Animal Kingdom to meet your family at 4:00 in the afternoon, have taught me not to count on Disney transportation when time is of the essence. It's worth it to rent a car or take an Uber or Minnie Van if you'd like to entirely dodge the pitfalls of Disney transportation and make the most of your time.

Of course, if I’m staying at a resort with easy access to the theme parks on foot–like the Boardwalk’s proximity to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios–I take advantage of the option to walk.

Skipping Extra Expenses

Disney offers a plethora of add-ons to enhance your trip experience, including PhotoPass, Park Hopper, and its popular Disney Dining Plan. While I have purchased each of these at times in the past, it’s been nearly a decade since I’ve felt the need for any of them.

Cast Members are usually glad to take any photos you’re not able to capture on your own with your phone, and if there are one or two PhotoPass photos you really love, you can purchase them individually at the end of your trip.

I enjoy the benefits of Park Hopping, especially when one park might be open later than the others, but the cost is significant, and there is also transportation time to consider. Instead of hopping over to another park after an early closing, we can enjoy the nighttime activities available at our resort at no additional cost.

The Disney Dining Plan doesn’t make financial sense for my family either, as we end up paying for more food than we consume and enjoy sharing Disney snack items, some of which are not available on the dining plan.

Make sure that if you're going to purchase these add-ons, you make good use of them so as to not waste money, but you may find that the more time you spend at the parks, you might not find them necessary.

Drinking the Free Water

I remember using Disney Dining Plan snack credits for bottles of Dasani during my early park days as a Disney World rookie. It didn’t take long for me to discover free water is available at any location where fountain drinks are sold, and often these locations will pre-fill trays of water in paper cups you can simply walk up to the counter and take. At times, some locations will even have a large water dispenser set up, where you can grab a cup from a stack and fill it on your own. If you would rather carry your own easily-accessible closed container, there are fountain refill stations throughout the parks.

Packing a Portable Phone Charger

Although I make a conscious effort to stay present during my time at the parks by limiting the time I spend on my phone, there are so many practical reasons to keep your device charged during your Disney days. Between using the My Disney Experience or Disneyland app for mobile ordering at Quick Service locations, keeping up with your itinerary and wait times via Disney Lightning Lane Multi Pass, and taking as many photos as possible to preserve those memories, it’s likely your phone will need an energy boost at some point. A portable charger is one of the crucial things we recommend including on your Disney World packing list and Disneyland packing list.

Although Disney offers its own Fuel Rod charging system for a $30 fee, and there are also charging stations hiding inconspicuously in several locations throughout the parks, it’s more convenient and cost-effective to purchase your own battery charger (I like Anker) prior to your visit to get infinitely better charging capacity for less money. I also charge my phone during those mid-afternoon breaks if I’m going to be in my resort room for any period of time.

Booking a Character Dining Experience

As a parent and–let’s just be honest–an adult who waves uncontrollably at Mickey sightings, character interactions are a priority for me, but the last thing I want to do in the parks is stand in a long line to meet my favorites. Character dining at Disney World and character dining at Disneyland allows me to enjoy a quality meal at a well-themed restaurant while the characters come to me for banter (verbal or pantomimed) and photos, allowing me to spend my valuable park hours experiencing attractions. Reservations for these experiences fill up quickly, so be sure to snatch a time as soon as your booking window opens.

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