I need your BEST tips and strategies… if you could give ONE, what would it be?

[SleeplessInTO]

I would ask each person for the 1-2 things they absolutely want to do on this trip. That gives you 5-10 “must dos” which is hopefully manageable. Once you accomplish those - success! Anything else that gets done is just gravy on top of an already wildly successful family vacation.

Don’t be afraid to go with the flow. And cut yourself some slack. It’s okay not to do everything.

 

[StarCruzer]

Follow a schedule that works for your family. Are you morning people or night people? Don’t try to fight your natural schedule - embrace it and pick a touring strategy that works with it.

Definitely agree with this. Rope dropping will help you get more rides in your day, but as a night owl I ask you, at what cost?

We used to rope drop when we first started going, and the excitement level of being at Disney was enough to propel us out of bed and into the parks. Now we just do the greatest hits.

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Old tip from the Birnbaum guides that we still use ... when there's an option, go left. I guess most people bear right.

 

[Jane VanTassel]

I booked an "epic" trip with split stay WDW/Universal with my 2 teenagers:15/17 and husband. Had all these reservations/plans/expectations: we didn't do a 1!! I was so resentful and upset. So much $$ spent, and they seemed so unappreciative. I needed to relax and just enjoy. Yet, some of my fondest memories were doing spur of the moment ideas; like going to the Orange Bowl between Iowa and Kentucky: was SO FUN!!! So basically, have a plan, don't over plan/or over think! Like many have said, get the Genie+ or whatever they are calling it now and book rides later in the morning. But either way I hope you have an amazing trip!!!

 

[CarolynFH]

I would ask each person for the 1-2 things they absolutely want to do on this trip. That gives you 5-10 “must dos” which is hopefully manageable. Once you accomplish those - success! Anything else that gets done is just gravy on top of an already wildly successful family vacation.

Don’t be afraid to go with the flow. And cut yourself some slack. It’s okay not to do everything.

I second this. Get a guidebook the kids can read, or link them to online guidebooks so they can learn about the attractions (not just rides) that are available in each park. Then I ask each person to tell me their 3 must-dos in each park, and I concentrate on including those attractions. (There’s usually some overlap.) As above, anything more is gravy!

 

[Mle8308]

Don't stress over something you can't control (or even those things you can). Not everything is going to go as planned, don't let it ruin your day. Sometimes the best things that happen are when you least expect it. Enjoy spending time with your family, you never know when it can change.

 

[PHXscuba]

My best overall tip for any vacation with teens: my 2/3 rule. IE: only plan 2/3 of each day. If you're busy in the morning and afternoon, let them have the evening to do what they want. If you've planned the morning and evening, let them be during the afternoon. Same thing with afternoon/evening planned: let them sleep in or veg.

At WDW/DL, that might look like rope dropping, lunch together, and then splitting up for the afternoon based on desires, then regrouping just before dinner or a later LL. Or sleeping in and then staying up late.

We've used this with teens and young adults for multiple vacations and it has been so much more restful for all of us. They (and you) really need time to decompress, text their friends, sleep, etc. Every-moment-together can be exhausting. One of my favorite memories of a busy/fun Hawaii vacation with DS17 was just sitting around on the patio shooting the breeze one unscheduled afternoon.

PHXscuba

 

[MICKIMINI]

If you are a coffee or tea drinker and get groceries, make sure you order plastic bottles of either. We bring one each to the park so we #1 don't have to stand in line and #2 don't have to pay $15 for coffee. Each kid brings a bottle of water or whatever they like as well. You will be thirsty by the time you enter the park! Your drink will be gone by the first ride and you saved $5-10 for each drink each day.

Secondly, plan to leave for the parks at least one hour before you want to be there. No running or fast walking so put your "type A" personality away for this trip. Let the crazy people sprint past you at rope drop. They will be dragging their butts out of the parks at 4 pm while you are eating Dole Whip and people watching LOL!

Third, always plan breaks either going back to your resort for a swim, quick shower and snack or head to a nearby resort (all but AK work for this strategy) for a leisurely lunch or snack. Mix gatorade and ice water for a light, hydrating drink. Plan a pool day midway through your trip.

Enjoy!

 

[_19disnA]

We NEVER get up early on vacation and have never 'rope dropped' Disney with those hoards of people who have to be the first one in line running to some popular ride. Maybe works for some but not us. By mid-morning seems everyone would be tired/worn-out/cranky and that doesn't seem like my idea of a fun vacation. Unless you have infants, carry as LITTLE as possible in the parks. Water is available for free from QS service restaurants. We only carry whatever might fit in a pocket and don't see the need to lug around a lot of other 'stuff'.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

In addition to water - get something that puts electrolytes back into you - gatorade/poweraid/liquid IV, etc. You should have water on you at all times and every 3rd refill or so needs to be an electrolyte. Also - make it a thing that everyone drinks. When I go with a group - while we are in line there is always a moment when it is an "all drink".

Save bathroom time - if 1 person has to go EVERYONE goes. I know your kids are older but I still make this a rule with my group and none of us are under 30.

With teens - be sure to have snacks and stuff in the room to eat at down times. Do a grocery order (or if you drive like I do, just bring it down.)

SUNSCREEN!!! And don't forget to reapply frequently.

Make sure everyone has broken in their shoes before you go. New shoes are a terrible idea. And I suggest not only going for test walks in your shoes but also just standing for a period of time in your shoes. You WILL be standing in lines even with LLMP. And shoes that I think are great to wear around do not give me the support I need when just standing in a line. This will be a controversial opinion (and probably get something thrown at me) but flip flops just don't provide that support. And bring more than 1 pair of shoes with you. Not only in case they get wet (and they will in September. You will still get the daily rain.) But a change of shoes is really refreshing and allows you to go on. I change my shoes at least once a day. Even if I'm not taking a rest in the room or at the pool, when I park hop, I stop by my room and switch shoes, reapply sunscreen, grab another bottle of water, etc.

If you are a hat/ears person, bring something to attach them to your bag on rides and in shows. This also helps if, like me, at some point you get tired of having the ears on your head (because headache). If you wear glasses/sunglasses on the rides, get a glasses band to keep them on your face.

Finally, allow yourself and your group to switch it up midstream. There may be a time when you are all hot, frustrated, and the lines are long. It's ok to go back to your room to nap, use the pool, play at the arcade, etc. Don't be locked into plans and go, go, go. I know it is expensive but no money is worth having a terrible time. Enjoy your time with your family.

 

[leebee]

Remember that you can't do everything. You won't even be able to do everything you planned or want to. It's just too much.

If it's hot, take advantage of walking thru the gift shops (they are connected even if they look like separate shops) for a shot of a/c.

Quick service food places will give you cups of ice water for free- just ask. If it's really hot, we hate lugging around a backpack that is extra heavy due to full water bottles inside.

Take everyone's natural rhythm into account. If your teens sleep until noon, that's their loss. You go to the parks, they can hop a bus and meet you when they are up and ready. Corollary to this is you can't burn the candle at both ends; staying up for night shows and being the last people out of the parks at night does NOT align will with getting up to make it to rope drop.

 

[run_Disney]

Decide a few rides, restaurants, and experiences are your must do's and be flexible about the rest. Use this first trip to see how your family likes to "do Disney". There is a learning curve to these expensive and detailed WDW trips, and some of that learning comes when seeing how everyone does when they are too warm, or too tired, or too hungry, or too crowded etc.

There is a lot of good advice here but this^ post really is the most important! We've been on many Disney trips and we always identify a few must dos when we do our planning. Those items get prioritized and everything else is just icing on the cake. Keep it realistic!

 

[footballmouse]

We've always gone in September, it's going to be hot. Take a day as a resort day and enjoy the pool, if you can squeeze another one in, do it. We've always done rope drop to close without any problems that time of the year.

Our routine was to eat breakfast in line (poptarts, bags of dry cereal [Fruit Loops, Apple Jacks]) and snack throughout the day (Uncrustables, Cheez-Its, Vanilla Wafers). Ate dinner in the park or for a little break, we went to a nearby resort for dinner.

 

[Miffy]

If you have any desire at all to make a return trip, book a bounceback offer. They're available up to 7 days after checkout and the discount on the room is perhaps the best there is at the moment.

You can make a bounceback reservation from your resort room by calling 8844 or after you get home you can call 407-934-7639.

You do NOT need to have a bounceback offer notice in your resort room in order to be eligible. You just have to be staying on-site.

If you are going to book a bounceback, be careful when doing so, because the booking agents on the phone will automatically book you a package, even if you don't need tickets (that's a ticketless package) and if all you need is a room reservation, you want a room-only reservation. Even if you specifically request a room-only reservation, they sometimes book a ticketless package anyway. So just be careful.

 

[tom1944]

I would ask each person for the 1-2 things they absolutely want to do on this trip. That gives you 5-10 “must dos” which is hopefully manageable. Once you accomplish those - success! Anything else that gets done is just gravy on top of an already wildly successful family vacation.

Don’t be afraid to go with the flow. And cut yourself some slack. It’s okay not to do everything.

I agree with this with one caveat.

If you are going with a young child (ours will be 5 this trip) increase the number of must do items they get.

 

[Beckyb3]

I tried to quote somebody else’s but having trouble doing it on my phone but bringing extra shoes is very good advice. My one trip mine got soaked in a rain storm and I didn’t have a second pair. It was not so fun putting soggy shoes on. September it will probably rain every day. An extra pair means you can switch off. I also like the advice of everybody picking one or two must dos and making sure you cover those so you don’t feel you have to do everything because that’s what becomes exhausting.

A little random tip, if you have any Star Wars fans, book Oga’s cantina for the end of the night. It’s a nice relaxing way to end the night and then you get to walk out through an empty Star Wars land which is pretty cool. It’s also nicer than the end of the night wait for the buses.

I hope you have a great trip!

 

[nyy]

We have been to WDW in late August many times. My best advice is to decide how you will beat the heat. The heat zaps all of your energy and can easily turn minor disappointments into arguments etc.

We have toured with umbrellas, personal fans, cooling towels, frozen water bottles, washcloths to wipe off our faces and necks, hats, etc.

Our plan was always up early for rope drop, parks until lunch in AC (at park or resort), then enjoy the resort and swim/nap/shower, enjoy a dinner reservation somewhere, and go to the parks until close. It doesn't work for every family, but even when the kids were late teens we all needed the break.
We have only ever stayed onsite and since we paid a premium for the resort we wanted to be sure to enjoy it. For us, it was as much a part of the vacation as the parks.
We also changed it up a bit and always had a resort night. We loved swimming at night and relaxing at the resort. Not sure where you are staying, but many resorts have nightly activities. Some have fireworks views.

If the break won't work for you, you could schedule a sit down meal in AC at a monorail resort on your MK day(s), a nice meal in World Showcase for EPCOT or at BW/YC/BC restaurants, maybe Rainforest at AK, and for HS in the park or you could still take the boat to BW/YC/BC. You could also take breaks by riding the monorail, the train at MK, longer shows like The American Adventure, Hall of Presidents, shows around World Showcase, etc.

I agree that splitting up at times might be something to consider. That might help everyone get to experience their must-do items.

The tip to bring more than one pair of shoes is great advice, too. With the daily afternoon storms, we needed 2 pairs!

We also gave our kids charging privileges on the MBs when they were in their teens, because it was easier for us when they wanted a frozen lemonade or a snack etc.

I hope you have an awesome trip!

 

[CVG]

Try and carry no bags into the park. Wear shorts with zip pockets and only take what comfortably fits. You can get collapsible water mugs but I just use the fountains and accept the taste!

Try not to let TWDC separate you from your money. You don't need LL's. You don't need plastic tack from China. You won't like the hideous food on offer (if you are used to cooking your own and have trained yourself off the ultra processed food diet).

Be present and mindful. Put the phones away, look up and talk to each other. Enjoy people watching.

 

[CVG]

Oops. That was more than one! Haha

 

[GBBTomorrow]

Cheap ponchos, like $1 cheap/thin ones for when it rains...because it will rain, even when it's not forecast to rain.

Yes, and a bonus tip to go with this! These cheap poncho hoods don't stay up on your head, especially if it is windy, and it's super annoying to have to hold your hood on while you walk around. Bring a baseball hat (or Mickey ears) and wear that ON TOP OF the hood to hold the poncho in place. Added benefit: the bill of the cap keeps the rain off your face.