Going to Disney World is a lot of things: magical, memorable, exhilarating, and fun. But relaxing is not one of the first words I think of when I think of WDW. In fact, I think the phrase “I need a vacation from this vacation” was first uttered somewhere outside of Space Mountain. With all the planning and running around required, some people might find Disney World to be exhausting and, at worst, stressful.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Disney World shouldn’t make you feel stressed. Here are six ways you can reduce the stress of planning a Disney World vacation and focus on the fun.
1) Work with a Travel Agent
That’s why we recommend working with a Disney-focused travel agent, like our friends at Vacationeer. They can help you with securing the best deals, making reservations, giving you helpful tips, and planning your vacation. Disney pays their commission, so there’s no extra charge to you. In fact, working with a travel agent can save you money, as they can have access to rates and deals sometimes not available to the general public.
Vacationeer is our preferred travel agent because they are friendly and super-responsive Disney experts. You can contact them here for help with free Disney World vacation planning. If planning a Disney World vacation seems stressful, this is the best step you can take.
2) Mobile Order Ahead of Time
There’s nothing worse than a long line to get food while your family is hit with sudden hangriness. It can happen to the best of us. You’re so caught up with booking Lightning Lanes and getting on the best rides that you forget to eat, until it’s too late. Everyone gets grumpy, and suddenly your magical vacation is starting to feel miserable as you wait in a long line for Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.
Mobile Order can be a huge stress reliever, especially if you plan ahead of time. Using the My Disney Experience app, you can place an order at many quick service dining locations. You’ll reserve a return window, when you can tell the restaurant that you’re there, and they’ll prepare your order. Not all restaurants will have mobile order availability immediately, but if you order at least an hour ahead of time, you should have plenty of options.
Tip: Press the“I’m Here” button as soon as you’re on your way to pick up your order. It tells the restaurant to prepare your order, and pressing it a little early will save on your wait time.
3) Plan Breaks into Your Vacation
A full day at the parks can be exhausting. It’s easy to rack up 20,000-30,000 steps or more in a typical Disney World day. That’s up to a half marathon of walking. It’s good news for all the snacks and treats you will want to eat while at Disney World (and part of the reason why my brain rationalizes that calories don’t count at Disney). But all that walking takes a toll. Additionally, going into the parks at opening and leaving at closing makes for a long day. All of this adds up to stress.
That’s why one of our biggest Disney World tips is to take a break. You can take a break in the middle of the day. The afternoons are the hottest and most crowded parts of the day, so a good strategy is to go into the park in the morning, take a break in the afternoon, and go back in during the evening.
Another way to take a break is to build in an off-day during your vacation. This is a day that you don’t go into the parks. You could eat at Disney Springs, hang out at your hotel, or hit up a spa. When I was a kid, my family would burn out by day 5 or 6 of our Disney World vacation because we were spending every moment we could in the parks. We were all just exhausted, and it would lead to arguments and grumpiness. Once we started taking an off-day in the middle of our trips, we had a much better time for the entire duration of our vacation.
4) Consider Adding an Extra Day to Your Ticket
This might not work for everyone, but sometimes part of the stress of a Disney World vacation is trying to fit in everything you want to do within your allotted time in the parks. You probably will also be trying to save money in all the ways you can. If you’re spending 7 days in Orlando, it might be tempting to save some money by only buying a 5-day park ticket instead of a 6 or 7 day park ticket. After all, you read that you should take breaks from a “Disney World expert.”
While you should take breaks, buying extra days might be a good way to relieve the pressure of getting your money’s worth each day. Disney World tickets have an interesting price structure. While the jump from 1 to 2 days is significant (almost double the price), as you go up, each day gets cheaper to add. Depending on when you go, a 5-day ticket can cost $450. But a 6-day ticket during that same time costs just $462. That’s only a $12 increase for the extra day in the parks. A 7-day ticket for the same arrival date costs $476. (Prices will vary based on season).
Considering a family of four could get 2 extra days in the park for around $100, it’s very reasonable to consider adding an extra day or two to your ticket. This makes sense even if you can only go into the parks for half the day on those extra days. This might allow you to stretch out your plans and gives you more time to check off all of your must-do items, instead of squeezing everything into a shorter amount of time.
5) Don’t Try to Do Everything
There’s to much to do at Disney World to do everything. I’ve been visiting Disney World every year since my brain could remember memories, and I still haven’t done everything. If this is your once-in-a-lifetime visit, you might feel the pressure to do it all, which will just lead to exhaustion and disappointment.
Instead, do research (or talk to your travel agent) and come up with your list of must-dos. Pick a handful each day, and consider how much time each one will take. Eating a Mickey Bar? Easy to add to your list. A multi-hour meal at Takumi-Tei or Victoria & Albert’s? Don’t put too many other must-do’s on your list for that day.
6) Make Fewer Dining Reservations
Disney World has a huge lineup of amazing restaurants, and a lot of them will feel like a must-do. It’s easy to fill up your entire itinerary with ADRs (advanced dining reservation). While I definitely recommend making several dining reservations for your Disney World vacation as soon as you can, I also recommend to not go overboard. Too many table service meals can be a stressor during your WDW trip. You’ll constantly have somewhere to be. Inevitably, you’ll have a Lightning Lane reservation that overlaps with one of your many dining reservations, and it will feel like you’re always rushing to make your table.
I personally try to limit myself to one dining reservation per day when I’m at Disney World. This doesn’t always work out — sometimes I can only line up two of my must-do restaurants on the same day. But then I’ll try to have a day without an ADR if this happens.
Don’t Stress about Disney
I hope this article helps you avoid stress at Disney World. By getting help from an expert Disney travel agent, taking breaks, using mobile order to your advantage, and not overloading each day with activities and dining reservations, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is having a great time.
Do you have any tips? Let me know in the comments below!
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