There’s No Wrong Way to Do Disney World. Actually, I Take It Back

We visit the Disney World parks every day, and we’ll be the first to tell you that there are tons of ways to “do Disney.”

If you’re a ride person, you’ll likely spend most of your time on the many rides. If you love food, you’ll probably do whatever you can to try as much as you can. And if you just love sitting and watching a parade, you’ll probably do just that most of the time. None of those are right or wrong ways to spend your time in the parks. However, we have heard some bad advice out there that we just gotta say is so WRONG! So we’re here to set the record straight.

You Have To Do Everything Together

Sometimes, we’ll head to the parks on a solo trip, but we know that’s not common for most people on their vacations to Disney World. It’s often a family trip or a fun friends vacay, and that can make things difficult when everyone has different expectations or wants to do different things.

You might have heard, or believed, that if you came to Disney World together you HAVE to do everything together. Well, we’re here to tell you that is simply not true. You can totally do some things together, but if everyone is old enough to wander off on their own, then feel free to break into smaller groups, or even by yourself, to explore the things that are most enticing to YOU.

Some of my favorite memories of being in Disney World have come from wandering around by myself or taking my mom out for a lunch date while everyone else rode a few rides. Don’t be afraid to split up and get the experience you’re looking for.

Change Up Your Rope Drop Strategy

There are people who rope drop, and there are people who like sleep. Either of those strategies can work out great depending on your priorities. However, if you do plan on rope dropping there are a few wrong choices in our opinion (sorry).

If you’re going to wake up super duper early, haul yourself to the parks before dawn, and deal with crowds of people all waiting to get into the parks, please do us a favor and DON’T run to Dumbo immediately (unless Dumbo is your all-time favorite ride and your biggest must do — then, by all means, run to Dumbo). We’re not just talking about Dumbo, but just some rides in general. Rides that are known to have lower wait times like Dumbo, The Barnstormer, TriceraTop Spin, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and others are not rides you want to spend your hard-earned rope-dropping time on.

Don’t get us wrong, we love these rides, especially because they make us feel like kids again, but if we’re rope-dropping a park, we’re hitting hard-to-ride attractions that often have long lines during the day. These are rides like Rise of the Resistance, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Flight of Passage, and Frozen Ever After. If you’re going to rope drop, consider these rides instead of those smaller ones.

We keep track of the Disney World wait times every single day, so be sure to follow AllEars so you can make a plan of which rides you’ll want to rope drop!

Spend Every Waking Moment in the Parks

Yes, Disney World can be expensive, and you’ll probably feel like if you paid for the ticket you need to be in the parks and get your money’s worth. This sounds good in theory, but it is incredibly tough to do.

A day in Disney World is a very long day with A LOT of walking. If you’re there from park open til park close, trust us, you’ll likely be pretty miserable. It can be over-stimulating, crowded, and exhausting (yes, we’re talking about all that walking again). We often like to leave the parks to go lay by the pool or take a nap at our hotel in the afternoon. It’s a great break for our minds and bodies (mostly our feet).

It’s not a waste of your money to leave the parks for a little break. First of all, you’re also paying for the hotel room, so you’ll get a little more use out of it and the pool. And second, you’ll be in a much better mood to fully enjoy all the parks have to offer after a mid-day break. Wait times tend to go down in the evenings, so you’ll want to be fresh to take advantage!

Never Leave the Parks To Eat

Okay, we’re just going to say it very bluntly. Never leaving the parks to eat is just plain wrong. Yes, the parks have great food options, but honestly, some of our favorite places to grab a bite in Disney World are at the hotels!

Sanaa, Citricos, 1900 Park Fare, Steakhouse 71, ‘Ohana, California Grill, and so many more options are in the hotels NOT in the parks. We recommend planning at least one meal at a Disney World hotel. It’s that opportunity to take a break from the park and take in some amazing food.

You Don’t Need a Plan

If you’ve been to Disney World 1,932 times, then you might not need a plan. But even we go into the parks with a plan (and we’re there all the time)! A plan helps you decide what the priorities are for you and your group. This might change based on how many times you’ve been to Disney World or who’s in your group, but setting priorities and expectations is very important for a successful day in the parks.

There is so much to do in Disney World (and it’s always changing), so unless you’re spending a pretty long vacation there, you may not get to do everything. That’s why we like picking out the most important things that we want to do, so we can start with those, and then anything else we get to is just a bonus.

Figuring things out like: Will you need Genie+? Which rides do you want/need a Lightning Lane for? Individual Lightning Lane? Do you need to get a virtual queue? Which restaurants do you need reservations for and which can you walk up to the counter at? These questions and many more are important to consider when planning your trip.

Don’t worry, we talk about all of these things and share our tips right here on the AllEars blog and our YouTube channel! You can learn all you need to ensure a successful trip to the parks if you follow along with us. We love to keep you up to-date and informed because we hope everyone who visits Disney World loves it as much as we do!

Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, and keep following AllEars for more Disney tips and tricks!

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