So, you want to plan the best Disney World vacation EVER? I’ve got you covered. As a self-proclaimed Disney expert, I love helping families plan their vacations and navigate the parks while they’re out there! This is your all-access guide to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I’m here to break down all four parks, hotels, lightning lane multi-pass and more to help you have the vacation you’ve always dreamed of!
Let’s talk about the My Disney Experience app. This app is a necessity when traveling to Walt Disney World. You’ll use it to navigate the parks, check into your hotel room, mobile order food, check ride wait times, book lightning lane multi-passes and so much more! You can download it for free in the app store and I recommend downloading it now if you haven’t already!
I highly recommend staying on property in one of the Disney World hotels. There are so many different options depending on your budget; from the All-Star Resorts to the Grand Floridian, you’re sure to find something that fits your needs! If you are staying on property, on the day of check-in, you can navigate to the “My Plans” section of the My Disney Experience app and click “Check-In.” You will receive a push notification and text message when your room is ready. You will then be able to use the app and/or a Magic Band to unlock your hotel room door. You can check out via the app on your last day as well. The hotel will hold your luggage until you leave if you want to go to Disney Springs or walk around the resort before you leave for the airport. It’s so convenient and makes the check-in and checkout process a breeze.
One of the best things about staying on property in the “Disney Bubble,” is the transportation system. Should you take the monorail, the skyliner, or a bus? Depending on the hotel you stay at, you may have several different options to get to and from the parks, while some hotels only have access to the bus system. We love using the Disney World buses to get to and from the parks. They will take you from your hotel to any of the parks as well as Disney Springs. The buses run 45 minutes prior to park opening until 1 hour after closing.
Another perk of staying on property is early entry. This gives you access to the parks 30 minutes before non-resort guests. You can get inside and knock out a few of the most popular attractions before the lines get really long. Deluxe Resorts also get access to exclusive evening events known as Extended Evening Hours. This is where you can stay for typically 3 hours after the park closes to regular guests and ride tons of rides with short wait times. This paired with lightning lane multi-pass is the best way to do the most in the parks, in my opinion.
Speaking of lightning lane multi-pass, this is the skip the line system at Walt Disney World. It gives you access to expedited waits at a number of rides at each park. When you think of Lightning Lanes, just know that these are the physical location where you scan into a ride to skip the line. It can save you multiple hours of line time during the day and it is the best way to get the most bang for your buck in terms of doing as much as possible in the parks on your trip.
There are 3 different skip the line options:
- Lightning Lane Multi-pass: This is an additional purchase to skip the line at over 50 attractions across all 4 parks at Walt Disney World. The cost varies depending on the day and which park you are purchasing it for – you pay one date based and park-based fee to skip the line at that park. You select rides from different tiers, and you’ll be locked in at the time you select. If you are not seeing a multi-pass for the ride you want at the time you want, you can modify the selection and refresh the screen, sometimes the system will show you different times based on availability. You can hold up to 3 lightning lanes at a time. When you scan into a ride, you can immediately select another one which helps you maximize your park time.
- Lightning Lane Single Pass: These are additional purchases of the skip the line option at select attractions across the parks. You can book two single passes per day, and the cost varies depending on the day and which ride you are purchasing the single pass for. The single pass attractions include: Tron and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot, Rise of the Resistance at Hollywood Studios and Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom.
- Lightning Lane Premier Pass: This is the most expensive skip the line offering at Walt Disney World. You’ll pay a date based and park-based fee to have access to every lightning lane multi-pass and lightning lane single pass attraction at the park. You don’t have to worry about booking times, you just walk up to the lightning lane attraction that you want to ride, scan in and go.
If you are staying on property, you also get a four-day advantage over non-resort guests when it comes to booking your lightning lanes. Guests who are staying on property are able to book their lightning lanes beginning at 7:00 am EST 7 days before hotel check-in. Non-resort guests (or people who are staying off property) can book their lightning lanes beginning at 7:00 am EST 3 days before their park day. This can make a huge difference in the lightning lane times that are available when you book. If you do not have Magic Bands, when you scan into the park, they will give you cards for everyone in the party. Keep these – this is how you will get into the parks and also how you will scan into the lightning lanes.
Now let’s talk about what to do when you actually get to the parks. Strollers are available to rent for the length of your stay. They have double and single strollers, and you can rent them as you enter the park on your first day. You can purchase a Length of Stay rental ticket for less per day when rent for multiple days. Then, upon visiting the park, show your receipt at the rental location to receive your stroller for the day. By this point, you’ll have lightning lanes booked and a plan for the day, but what about food? One of the coolest things about the My Disney Experience app is the system that allows you to mobile order food at select locations throughout the park. I highly recommend using mobile order for meals outside of your pre-planned sit-down meals. To do this, navigate to the “Order Food” section of the app to view the available options. You can check out the menu, select a time and order food directly in the app. Then, when it’s time to pick up your food, you open the order, click “I’m here, prepare my order,” and you will receive a push notification telling you which station to go to at the restaurant to pick up your order. There are allergy friendly options available at each food location so you can find options to fit any diet or restriction.
Magic Kingdom
Ah, Magic Kingdom. I absolutely love this park! There is so much to do and it’s so nostalgic that just stepping into this park fills me with so much joy! I’ve broken down the attractions, shows, parades and more so that you can plan your perfect Magic Kingdom Day! I suggest rope-dropping Peter Pan during early entry if you’re staying on property. If you’re not buying the single pass for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, you can ride it during early entry with 5,000 of your closest friends.
Must Do Family Friendly Rides (No Height Requirement):
- Peter Pan
- It’s a Small World
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
- Dumbo
- Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
- Jungle Cruise
- Haunted Mansion (a little spooky but fun!)
- Pirates of the Caribbean
- Mad Tea Party
- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
- Prince Charming’s Regal Carrousel
- Swiss Family Treehouse (walk through)
- People Mover
- Astro Orbiter
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Closed for Refurbishment until April 8th, 2026)
Rides for the Bigger Kids (You can use rider swap for these, if you want to ride- one person will stay with the younger kids while everyone else rides, and then you can swap. Simply check in with the ride attendants prior to riding):
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38-inch height requirement) – Single Pass Lightning Lane
- The Barnstormer (35-inch height requirement)
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (40-inch height requirement – closed for refurbishment until Spring 2026)
- Tomorrowland Speedway (32-inch height requirement)
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (40-inch height requirement) Water Ride
- Space Mountain (44-inch height requirement)
- Tron (48-inch height requirement) – Single Pass Lightning Lane
Shows (Showtimes are available in the app/usually a walk up wait):
- Enchanted Tales with Belle
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree
- Mickey’s Philhar Magic
- Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor
- Carousel of Progress
- Tiki Room
- Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire (Castle Stage Show)
- The Dapper Dans
Character Meet and Greets:
- Meet Ariel at her Grotto
- Meet Mickey at Town Square Theatre
- Meet Princesses at Fairytale Hall
Parades/Fireworks (Showtimes are available in the app):
- Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Adventure Friends Cavalcade
- Starlight Parade (nighttime parade)
- Happily Ever After (Fireworks at night)
EPCOT
Epcot is my second favorite park. There are some super popular and fun rides at this park, which can make the lightning lane multi-pass system tricky, but I recommend picking your favorite top tier ride for lightning lane ride and rope dropping your second choice during early entry if you’re staying on property. On our last trip we booked Test Track and rode Frozen during early entry. We were able to get a Remy Lighting Lane for later in the day – it worked out perfectly! Do not miss out on Guardians of the Galaxy – it’s a single pass lightning lane, so it is an additional cost to skip the line, but it is TOTALLY worth it!
Must Do Family Friendly Rides (No Height Requirement):
- Frozen Ever After
- Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
- The Sea with Nemo and Friends – includes a beautiful aquarium at the end
- Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
- Journey into Imagination with Figment
- Living with the Land
- Spaceship Earth
- Journey of Water (Moana Walk-Through Water Experience)
Rides for the Bigger Kids (You can use rider swap for these, if you want to ride- one person will stay with the younger kids while everyone else rides, and then you can swap. Simply check in with the ride attendants prior to riding):
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (42-inch height requirement) Single Pass Lightning Lane
- Mission Space (40-inch height requirement)
- Soarin’ Around the World (40-inch height requirement)
- Test Track (40-inch height requirement)
Shows (Showtimes are available in the app):
- Turtle Talk with Crush
- The American Adventure
- Awesome Planet
- Canada Far and Wide
- Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
- Entertainment at Canada and Germany Gazebos
- EPCOT Concert Series
- Jammitors
- Mariachi Cobre
- Matsuriza
- Reflections of China
- Voices of Liberty
- Celebracion Encanto
Character Meet and Greets:
- Meet Characters at Mickey & Friends
- Meet Ana and Elsa at Royal Sommerhus
Fireworks:
- Luminous
Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios is such a fun park, but it is currently going through some changes. Coming soon is an entire Monster’s Inc themed land, and I am so excited for it to be complete. The most popular rides include Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash, so these should be your first lightning lanes that you book if you’re using the system.
Must Do Family Friendly Rides (No Height Requirement):
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Toy Story Mania
Rides for the Bigger Kids (You can use rider swap for these, if you want to ride- one person will stay with the younger kids while everyone else rides, and then you can swap. Simply check in with the ride attendants prior to riding):
- Alien Swirling Saucers (32-inch height requirement)
- Slinky Dog Dash (38-inch height requirement)
- Star Tours (40-inch height requirement)
- Rise of the Resistance (40-inch height requirement) Single Pass Lightning Lane
- Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run (38-inch height requirement)
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (40-inch height requirement)
- Rockin’ Rollercoaster (Currently under refurbishment to be Muppet themed)
Shows (Showtimes are available in the app):
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
- Fantasmic
- For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
Character Meet and Greets:
- Meet Ariel at Walt Disney Presents
- Meet Disney Stars at Red Carpet Dreams
- Meet Edna Mode at the Edna Mode Experience
- Meet Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is also undergoing some huge changes. Dinoland USA recently closed to make room for the new Tropical Americas section of the park. I am so excited for the new attractions that are on their way! In the meantime, check out Pandora for the incredible Avatar attractions and Kilimanjaro Safaris for a fun safari that the whole family will enjoy.
Must Do Family Friendly Rides (No Height Requirement):
- Navi River Journey
- Kilimanjaro Safaris
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether! (Show)
- Maharajah Jungle Trek (Animal trails)
- Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail (Animal trails)
Rides for the Bigger Kids (You can use rider swap for these, if you want to ride- one person will stay with the younger kids while everyone else rides, and then you can swap. Simply check in with the ride attendants prior to riding):
- Avatar Flight of Passage (44-inch height requirement) Single Pass Lightning Lane
- Expedition Everest (44-inch height requirement)
- Kali River Rapids (38-inch height requirement)
Shows (Showtimes are available in the app):
- Feathered Friends in Flight
- Festival of the Lion King
- Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond
- Viva Gaia Street Band
Character Meet and Greets:
- Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
If you take a rest day (which I highly recommend), definitely check out Disney Springs! Disney Springs is a fun shopping center located within the Disney bubble. There are over 60 eateries, tons of shops and more! You can easily take a bus from your hotel to Disney Springs for a quick visit.
I hope this information has been helpful and that you use the tips and tricks in my Walt Disney World Guide for your next vacation. If you’re ready to plan a Disney getaway, I’d love to help you! Feel free to reach out via the contact form on my travel page to get started!
-Ashton
The Haunted Foodie
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Hi! I’m Ashton, a food blogger and meal-planning enthusiast helping busy families make dinnertime easier. I share family-friendly recipes, themed movie nights, and monthly meal planners designed to save time, reduce stress, and bring simple joy back to the kitchen. Thanks for being here!