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    Walt Disney World FAQ Roundup

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Looking for the answers to our most frequently asked questions about planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Here's a roundup of Touring Plans sources for answers to some of the most common questions asked by Disney trip planners.

Quick Tips

  • Walt Disney World is over 40 square miles: twice the size of Manhattan. It includes four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom), two water parks (Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach), a major shopping/dining/entertainment complex (Disney Springs), a complex of playing fields and sports areas (ESPN Wide World of Sports), 25+ resort hotels, 2 mini-golf courses, 4 regular golf courses, spas, several hundred restaurants (from AAA-Five Diamond gourmet to hot dog carts), behind the scenes tours, and more.
  • Walt Disney World does NOT include Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, or anything related to Harry Potter. Those are different experiences offered by different companies. Your Disney ticket will NOT get you into Universal Orlando theme parks.
  • Get to the parks EARLY every day. And use a Touring Plan. It's well worth the money, even if we are biased.
  • Disney has a new itinerary-planning app called Genie, that purports to be a Touring Plan. It's not. In fact, it's pretty bad, and we don't recommend using it. Note: Genie and Genie+ are not the same thing. See articles below for more info.
  • Much of the transportation at WDW is free. There is no charge for anyone to use the extensive bus/boat/monorail and aerial gondola (called the Skyliner) transportation system within WDW. That said, sometimes using the Disney transportation system can be time consuming. Many guests use a hybrid of Disney transport and Uber/Lyft/cabs.
  • WDW can become very overwhelming very quickly; it’s impossible to do everything in one trip, or even in many trips. Honor the vacation part of your vacation by taking time to relax. Take a nap/swim break during the afternoon. Alternate park days with pool/recreation days. Particularly during hot weather, take time to relax to avoid burnout.
  • There are on-site Disney hotels at many price points and room configurations: value, moderate, deluxe, suites, family suites, villas, cabins, bungalows, and campgrounds. Off-site lodging is likely to be less expensive, but staying on WDW property gives many benefits.
  • Theme park tickets are expensive. Prices vary by travel date, number of days of your trip, and whether you want to visit more than one theme park per day (Park Hopping). The per-day cost of tickets drops the longer your trip is. For example, 1-day tickets are $120+ per day (sometimes as much as $150+ per day), while 9-day tickets can be closer to $50-60 per day, depending on the options you choose.
  • You’ll need the My Disney Experience app in the parks, but it’s often easier to make your initial hotel/dining/FastPass reservations on real computer rather than on a phone.
  • The average guest walks 7-10 miles per day at WDW; children who are well past stroller age at home often need a stroller at WDW to get a break from walking and/or crowds.
  • Disney's free FastPass and FastPass+ line-skipping system has been discontinued. This has been replaced by a fee-based system called Genie+ (or Individual Lightning Lane, depending on the ride. It's complicated, see articles below for explanations.)
  • For table-service (sit down) restaurants, reservations currently open 60 days in advance. Many of the most popular restaurants (character meals and fine dining) fully book months ahead. MAKE RESERVATIONS. There are penalties if you no-show for a table service dining reservation. If you won’t make it, cancel 24 hours in advance.
  • There are currently no dining plans available for purchase at Walt Disney World.
  • All guests need to have a theme park reservation (Park Pass) IN ADDITION TO a park ticket to enter any WDW theme park. See articles below for more information.
  • Some attractions have height requirements. Disney uses height, not age, as their metric for who is able to ride.
  • Park hours vary seasonally. Be sure to check.
  • Rides are sometimes closed for weeks or months for maintenance or refurbishment. This information in online. Be sure to check that Space Mountain will be open during your trip before promising your child that they can go on Space Mountain.
  • The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World is another terrific resource for Disney trip planning.

Overview

Basics about trip planning and what the offerings are at Touring Plans.

Planning Before You Leave Home

Steps to take and things to think about while you're at home planning your trip to Walt Disney World.

Making the Most of Your Time

Tips on how to save time at Walt Disney World, reducing your time spent waiting in lines.

Making the Most of Your Money

Tips on how to save money on your Disney World vacation.

Accommodations

Information on where to stay and how to choose the right hotel for your Walt Disney World vacation.

Information on what staying at a Disney World hotel is like.

Dining at Disney World

Eating well is one of the most enjoyable parts of any vacation. Here are all the things to need to know to make the right dining choices for your family. Note: Some dining information is also included in the "Tips for Special Circumstances" section below.

Dining Overview

Quick Service and Fast Dining

Table Service Dining

Disney World with Kids

Tips on how to have the best Disney World vacation when you're traveling with children.

Tips for Special Circumstances

Tips for folks who have special needs or special interests.

Arriving and Getting Around

How to get to Disney World, what to do when you first arrive, and how to use the many varieties of transportation at Disney World.

General Theme Park Information

Tips on the Disney World theme park experience.

Magic Kingdom

EPCOT

Animal Kingdom

Hollywood Studios

Disney Water Parks

Disney Springs, Shopping, and Recreation

Miscellaneous

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