Ex cast member here, if a big ride like a roller coaster breaks down it will take at least 30 mins to restart because everything has to be reset and sometimes the guests need to be evacuated. If you see people walking out of the inside of the attraction led by cast members that means it will be a while before it’s working again

Always stayed in the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks. Get an ice cream - mobile order before show, sit and relax watching the people trying to leave, then shop! Just loved walking down main street with fewer people and take the ferry back to the ticket center. Exhausted but not stressed.

As for hopping between Epcot and Hollywood Studios, there's actually a fantastic footpath between them, starting at the side entrance between England and France, running past resorts to Hollywood's front gate. It's a 20 minute brisk walk, 30 minute stroll.

This is my daughter's Make a Wish...thanks for the tips...we have 4 and a half days for all the parks at Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal studios...I'm trying to strategically time everything out perfectly so we can have time to do everything and this helps 👍🏿

One tip I've done at another theme park; I buy one of those cheap Mylar Balloons with an extra-long string and either tie it to your antennae or hang it out your car window and roll window up tight. (Make sure it has the weight at the end). Even if someone else has the same idea you just follow the balloons!

As for waiting in line for broken rides... when waiting for Rise of the Resistance recently, the ride broke down. We ended up waiting for about 30 minutes, but so many people had left that we basically made up the wait time and were essentially able to ride the ride in the same amount of time as if the ride had not broken down. Something to think about!

A few years ago I had a two week vacation at Disney world and I remember just reading a book for an afternoon in one of the cafes in one of the parks. It was a magical experience - that feeling of being at the parks but not in a hurry and having some self-love time casually.

I continue to see videos of people on their phones attempting to get reservations and get on rides. Spending thousands on a vacation just to stay glued to your phone is such a waste of time. Remember when you could walk up to the gate and pay to get in. Walk around and ride anything with a 10 minutes or less wait. Then you eat anything at anytime you want. All this over planning has destroyed the fun and magic of Disney.

I am the person who lost her car 🤦‍♀️. My kids and I searched for quite a while before taking the “walk of shame” back to the TTC to ask a cast member for help. Their car parking/timing map feature is accurate and we were back on the road in no time.

To take your time, I recommend October travel and dedicating full days at each park. We are adults and did 3 full days at Epcot (including evening dinners), 2 full days at Animal Kingdom (included the private Safari package - extra charge $$$) and 1 afternoon at Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks at the Cinderella Castle! NOTE: We are retired! 🤗

Drinking My Coffee While Watching DFB. Simply the best

We watched fireworks behind the castle on the dumbo ride. It was so dead they let us stay on for three trips. Was like a Disney world commercial

My tip isn’t so much for time wasted but for damage control. It was my first time having to do Disney in mobility assistance scooter after the fireworks show at magic kingdom, so one of the most magical times of your family trip, people get really hateful some even told me to get out of the way. I froze and cried. My family was also upset. We ended up paying for the minnieVans and it really helped. Disney in general are AMAZING at meeting any handicap needs but keep in mind people get hateful when having to load and unload at buses and in general.

Nothing like getting ready for a Disney trip and seeing DFB pop up 🙌🏼

I agree with not standing in lines for longer than 20 mins. When my husband and I went, there was an hour long wait for peter pan’s flight most of the day & we went at night when it went down to 15-20. We actually only waited like 5 mins or less and it was fun, but I would have been mad if we’d waited an hour or more!!

I kinda like some of the rain- cools you down and scared away people (reduces lines). All this advice reminds me of a saying that is well know in the backpacking/hiking community- hike your own hike (meaning one method you think is dumb is the best for someone else, depends on what you want out of the experience). Some people might say the parades and fireworks are a time waster. To each their own.😏

Seems to me that Disney has been finding ways to waste everyone’s time and money over the past decade.

We watched fireworks as we ate a quick service dinner at CASEYS. We sat at one of the outdoor tables right in front of the CASTLE. A wonderful experience.

We really enjoyed the Minnie Van! It was awesome with the cast members telling us what to do at a certain park and the tips and tricks of each park

As a former employee, these were great tips that a lot of people may think about but they forget when they are at the parks! Such good info!

I agree with most of these ideas. Disney is expensive and most of us want to maximize that investment. With most people having 1 day for a park, make a list of "Must Dos" and set your expectations to do around half of those. Train your mind to have a lowered expectation of "success" and bring those battery backups for your phone to help pass time in lines and place those mobile orders to have that meal ready when your done with your ride.

1. Make note of where you park (take a pic, download an app and text the info to the group in case you get separated). 2. Park Hop Efficiently around 1:30 (Ep to Hw) MK first! 3. Long Lines for Meals (don't go during peak, MOBILE ORDER) 4. Broken Rides (Jump ship generally)....

"Make a reservation a few days before your visit to a park"...that's funny. My wife and I were just there in November and restaurants had been fulling booked with reservations, every day we were there, months ago! We were told to make dining reservations at least three to four months out if we wanted to be sure to get a seat. We both love Disney and have made annual trips there for years, first with the kids and now that they're grown, just the two of us, but it's reaching the point that it's not much fun anymore, it's just too crowded, all the time.

Thanks for these! Our family have been to WDW DOZENS of times. So many people don’t realize how far it is from one park to another, so park hopping really is time consuming. This is especially true if you are at the back of one park and have to travel out to a mode of transportation, wait for it, travel time, then getting into the next park. You could easily spend an hour or two getting to your next park. For me really not worth it. Especially if you have small children, or slower family members, this can be more difficult task.

When I used to go with my family (yay, 90s Disney!) and the Walt Disney Story was at the Magic Kingdom, we would plan to be in the movie when the storms were coming. We also realized pretty quickly that the midday rain usually only lasted a few minutes, and if we needed, we would just step inside a store or restaurant and wait it out - watching all the people rush into the stores to stand in line for those yellow ponchos, only to have the rain be over by the time the line was finished. 🤣

Lots of these reasons are why I travel alone! I do what I want when I want.

Honestly the simple gems are the best tips for me, this channel is so handy! Coffee fix is a must for me on those early park entry days!

Could DFB do a video on handicap accessibility? We have a family member that can only walk short distances and is in a wheelchair otherwise. I wish I had know about the amenities that DW offers guest with special needs.

Such a soothing voice. I had no reason to listen except I was curious and listened to the whole thing! Helps time fly by while I'm working, thank you!

I love ridiculous things! Wasting time, not so much. If you rent a car, immediately take a photo of its license plate! As a last resort, a parking lot cast member may help you find your car if you ask nicely. But first try the panic button -- that's what it's there for! TTC is very convenient if you're staying at Polynesian. Otherwise, maybe avoid it. But taking the ferry to MK is just plain cool!

Going to the parks by myself was amazing. I WAS the Fastpass!

Last time I visited Disney was when I was in high school, and went with my classmates during spring break. (Live in Washington state, so big deal). I NEVER make plans when visiting parks, besides which park for which day maybe. No schedules, no time limits outside of things out of my control (closing, opening, breakdowns). Just running around and doing whatever looks cool when I see it there.

Went to Disneyland with my family and we spent the whole day walking around. (Everyone had blisters after because we were practically walking/standing for 8+ hours with only ride times spent sitting, and those who went for the second later run of splash mountain (re:not me) was absolutely soaked for the rest of the day lol) Getting off Big Thunder Mountain right as the fireworks started was absolutely amazing 🤗 I highly reccomend bringing really comfy shoes and blister bandages lol

Making it where you only can book your Dining Plan reservations 60 days out is a good change. There were people booking multiple times and hogging entire restaurant blocks for the longest time, and that wasn't fair at all. Also.. only a few quick service places in each park are worth having the food. For at least one meal, eat at the hotel, and one actually bring your own food. They cannot force you not to bring your own.

When I was a kid it was my job to remember the parking number and lot. I took a lot of pride in that job! If you have a kiddo they may also love that job! It made me feel important!

Just went to Disneyland a few weeks ago. Won’t go back. All the running back and forth for ride appointments made it not so fun. It was also very expensive. My family used to have yearly passes for Disney World. Wow has the experience gone down hill.

Gosh, can’t imagine being a first timer and trying to do it all in 5 days.

Honestly as far as fireworks go when staying at the contemporary resort you can watch them on the floor where the bridge is and get the lake parade my mom loved being able to watch the fireworks from our hotel and we didn’t have to rush back to resort or anything so worth watching it like that

This one of the most useful DFB videos I've heard. Thanks, DFB!

Great information. Let me add another for saving time, visit when kids are in school and the crowds are less. There are websites that will show you the peak and best off-peak times for crowds at Disney World . And if you have kids, take them out of school and go at those off-peak times and save all the stress of those longest wait times in line with tired kids. Cheers

If you have adults and children, specifically in Epcot, make sure you plan a rotating schedule for who is doing something close with the kids and who is drinking in the world showcase. Either rides or a snack will help. I remember being a kid and just waiting for my mom and dad to just finish their drinks because the maelstrom was 30 feet away with a 10-minute wait. even having a mickey ice cream sandwich would keep me and my brother happy for long enough.

I can always predict the rain in the summer in Florida. I just say there is a 50% of rain. That even applies as it will rain in 50% of the places. I’m actually an expert at staying ahead of the rain since I live here. In the summer the rain only lasts about 15-20 minutes anyway. I have seen many times it’s raining in my front yard but not the backyard. The lightening is very dangerous so stay safe and away from thunder. I was once driving and my car was struck by lightning. That’s a safe place because of the rubber tires. Also, warning! The sun is so brutal because of climate change I now get sunburned underneath my clothes being outside for 15 or 20 minutes. I’ve had heat strokes and do my best to prevent them. But this year it’s happening to more people for the first time. It’s very dangerous and when you go to bad your muscles in your legs cramp into a charley horse it wakes you up and you have to fly off the bed. Do your best to try to stretch your calves. Drink tons of water all day. That’s usually not enough so you need something with electrolytes. Another good tip is to bring ice. Put some in your hat before you put it on your head. You will thank me later. I manage people who have to work outside. We keep having actual heat warnings. I tell my outdoor workers to take a break every hour. Trust me, it’s way way hotter here than it used to be and the sun is more deadly. And it used to be extremely hot, so this is serious. Use sunscreen even under your clothes.

Oh how that gift shop thing brings back memories. My mother and sister wanted to look at all that junk, my dad, brother, and myself eventually said we needed to quit wasting time there.

My biggest time waster was the buses relying on Disney buses takes so much longer. In the time you can wait for a bus to show up you could go back-and-forth between your hotel like twice

Park hopping was great for my sister and I when we were teens. We would ride the rides we wanted to in one park. Then move on to the next park. Back then you could park hop anytime of the day. It doesn’t sound like it’s that way now. We would usually take the monorail from park to park. Or the bus, depending on the parks we went to. Sometimes hitting three parks in one day. We planned our visit around what time we wanted to leave each park and rides/activities we wanted to do in each park. For example, if we went to the Magic Kingdom we would hit the rides furthest from the monorail first and then gradually head back towards it as we got closer to completing the activities we wanted to do there. Another thing we did to save time and money: bring our own food. The Disney restaurants are awesome and many are world class. I have eaten at many of them over the years. However, if you want to fit in as many rides as you can (which was our goal when we were teens at every park except EPOCT), it is most efficient to bring your own food. You can eat whenever you want and you don’t have to wait in line or wait for a table. However, at EPCOT one of my personal favorite things to do was try all of the foreign food, so I budgeted time and money accordingly. If you do decide to eat a one of their totally amazing restaurants, go at a time that is not a normal eating time. For example, you could push lunch back until 2:00 PM if you want. Or perhaps you could eat dinner at 4:00 PM. Also, research which places you want to go so you don’t have to wait in line as long. For example, the restaurant at the American Pavilion is cafeteria style. There are a lot of registers, too. The little cafe in the Norway area serves outstanding Norwegian food, but because it’s takeout you don’t have to wait as long. A lot of the food there (at least when I went) was pre prepared and not made to order, so this cuts down on the wait time. Sometimes what I have done if I want to eat at the parks is bring dinner and eat lunch at one of the restaurants. Know how many restaurants you want to enjoy during your stay and which ones so that you budget your time and finances accordingly. For example, unless I’m going with extended family. I know that I prefer to eat out at EPCOT. (Not because I don’t like the restaurants at the other parks. I do. I just like ones at EPCOT soooo much that given a choice I choose eat out there). So I bring all my meals to other parks and budget my time and money so that I can eat out EPCOT. I also plan which restaurants to eat at there ahead of time. Another time saver is to plan your day ahead of time. Know which rides are the newest ones and which areas the most popular. For example, the best time to visit Future World (I think it has a different name now) is usually around 11:00 AM when the World Showcase Lagoon opens up. The crowds will die down and you can ride the rides that accumulate long lines then. Research the rides. For example, it’s good to know that Test Track is a very popular ride, so getting a fast pass to ride is an efficient use of your time. Also, it only fits two passengers per car and is not a continuously moving ride, which contributes to wait times. Spaceship Earth is a dark ride that is continuously moving. If you wait until the crowds in Future World die down you can usually walk right on it, so you wouldn’t need a fast pass for this ride. If you can, always go to the left in the line. Naturally most people tend to go right, so go to left. Usually the line is shorter. Also, when I last went with my sister some of the more popular attractions have single riders lines. This cuts down on the wait time and allows them to fill the attraction. My sister and I often went in the single rider line, knowing that sometimes we would be able to sit together and sometimes not. We could often avoid the long wait times by going in the single rider line. For example, I remember the first year we rode Everest. The stand by line was 2.5 hours long, so we decided to not ride it until our fast pass time, which was later in the day. We headed past the coaster when I saw a sign that was kind of hidden. It said “single rider”. I looked and saw that were only about ten people in line! My sister and I rode the coaster over and over again while everyone else was wasting their time in a 2.5 hour long line. Another thing is go during the off season, but if you must go during the season go in winter and avoid the parks on holidays. However, if you choose to go on a holiday it is good to know he size of the parks. Here they are from smallest ti largest: Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT. Most of the parks will reach capacity on holidays. However, if you choose the park wisely you will still be able to enjoy your time. For example, in my opinion being at the Magic Kingdom when it reaches capacity can be claustrophobic because of the crowd size and the wait times are long. However, I have also been at EPCOT when it has reached capacity barely felt it. The World Showcase lagoon is spacious so the crowd is more spread out and a lot of the rides are dark rides, so they are continuously moving. You might wait longer in line for them, but you don’t feel it so much because you aren’t standing still in line. Also, I don’t think I ever waited more than 20 minutes for a ride there (except Test Track and Norway) even when it was at capacity.

As someone who used to worked at the skyliner I would cry before I head to work if check the weather there going to rain during my shift. I know if it's windings more then 35 miles per hour 2 miles away from disney we got to shut it . The amount of times I get yelled at people 😒 to tell them the bad new. As if I could control the weather. I get it you running late but thats not my fault

Thank you for all the tips! You have made my many Disney trips so much easier

I just take my time and enjoy whatever Disney Park I’m in, let Disney come to you, it’s a great relaxing way to enjoy Disney. Too much information is not good, I like to learn as I go. I really dislike running all over the place to get on rides at certain times that is not relaxing to me. Never rush!

For food, my group usually makes a dinner reservation at a resort for the evening and we graze the park for lunch. The food kiosks in the parks are usually enough to keep us going during the day and we don't have the long wait. Mobile Order has saved us a couple of times when we were dying for a chili dog in Hollywood Studios. During an Epcot festival, we budget to hit the various food places and try whatever looks good (or is recommended by DFB). Small bites to eat throughout the day seem to work for us, but we don't have kiddos, so that will make a difference.

Also, you can walk between Epcot and Hollywood Studios if you want to have a small relaxing walk next to the water.

I’m planing a trip to fly out there soon with my friends. Thanks for all the tips!

Just got back from a week long trip and found mobile order to be the biggest time saver. Though lines for food weren’t as bad as I thought they would be. Also had a DAS pass which was a great time saver too. Staying at resorts n the skyliner can also save time.

Fwiw, as someone who needs coffee in the morning, I usually grab Starbucks on my way OUT of the Disneyland parks (open until 30 minutes after park close) and take it back to the hotel to heat up in the morning and drink while in line for opening, but that's where we are walking distance to our hotel so not sure if that would work as well at Disney World. Just an idea!

Best spot for MK Fireworks is Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! It was awesome!

10:00 can confirm, Journey into Imagination was the best thing at EPCOT Center. With the rainbow tunnel upstairs! It's so sad today, greed has sucked all the imagination out of that place.

I’ve never been to Disney World but I am planning on going. Now I keep watching videos about the different parks, Jofferys at the exit of Tower of Terror always has the shortest (if not none at all) lines.

We just got back from our annual Disneyland trip. We stayed 3 days, and weren’t even able to do as much as we used to do in a single day. I could go on and on about all of the issues we ran into. We won’t be returning for quite some time. Disney has really lost its magic.

Never been to Disney World. More of Dinseyland person. More the dislike of the heat, humidity, and storms than anything. But this is sound advice and you're a great presenter. ❤

As a long time AP, this is one of the best guides I’ve ever seen! Thank you, kindly!

Rain storms pop up frequently in Florida. Buy your rain gear and pack in your suitcase. If your staying on a Disney site get your coffee/breakfast to go and eat while waiting on transpiration. There are also places to buy Mickey/Minnie ears before your trip for cheap!

I was there just yesterday and I would say the most time saving thing is the genie + feature. It also gives you one hour to be there. So if you made a appointment ride for 5 you have to be there at 5-6. And you don’t need to wait in one hour lines!

Dan: One of the biggest waste of time is thinking like everybody else. Traveling during peek times, eating at typical times 7-8am, 12-1pm for lunch etc

As always a great job! Waiting for the time you do a segment on skyliner and I see myself in the background, lol! Keep doing an amazing job! I tell all my guests to check out your blog for great advice.

We are going to Disney two weeks from now. We do quick service for breakfast and sit downs and some adrs for lunch and dinner.Great video.

With the lightening lane pass, if you had one for the ride while it’s down you will get another and it will tell you what rides you can use it on, if you have already scanned, you will need to visit a cast member to get it back, I just went to Disney had this happen to me 3 times and each time I got my lightening pass returned to my app. Hope this helps!

An early morning coaster will wake you up just as much as a cup of coffee.

I know the buses get a bad wrap, am I crazy that I love them? The individual theming. Riding from the hotel with everyone else excited to get there. I love it!

I went to Disney World once as a kid 20 years ago but I still love these videos

I really just need to make sure everyone fully appreciate the immaculate play on words that was "feeding two birds with one scone".

Rule of thumb #1: You won't see/do everything you want to do, even on a light day.

Just came back from vacation at Animal Kingdom lodge and doing all the parks. I Loved it for all the memories and the Truth. Plan your Time! Luckily I followed this advice from them and had a FABULOUS vacation! 💯😁👍🏼🤗❤

I liked that sign that said "Free parking $45"

You know, with all this new technology stuff, I’m just as glad I will never visit Disney again. I enjoyed the old days when we just wandered the park and just enjoyed the day. No rushing around to keep set “appointments” all over the park. Appointments are for work time, not play time. 😊

We used the Minnie Vans many times when we were there in Nov 2019…such a time and life saver…especially when you have an exhausted child!

Park hopping is best when spending the afternoon by your Disney resort pool and do morning and evening at different parks.

I went to WDW a couple times as a child. Of course none of the inconveniences like driving, parking, waiting in line, are part of my memories at all. However, having only been to Disneyland/CA Adventure as an adult, I have to say how much easier it seems to enjoy the Anaheim experience than Orlando. Huge selection of affordable hotels in walking distance, and we watched the fireworks from the pool at our hotel. SO easy. We didn't park-hop but if we wanted to it would have been a few minutes walk from one entrance to the other. Not sure I'd want to try WDW now lol. (but I'd still not turn down an opportunity!)

I've never been and don't plan on going. I'm too cheap, and honestly don't think I'd enjoy it because of all the associated stress. But I do get a kick out of watching videos about it. So, that's a time saver.

My tip as a roller coaster enthusiast with tons of experience waiting in ride lines and even operating some. On average if you want to wait for a ride I usually wait 20 minutes, 30 maximum after maintenance arrives. If it’s a quick fix and not an overly complicated issue that’s how long it typically takes

Have done mobil ordering twice since it became the norm. Once for lunch at Regal Eagle and once for dinner st Flame Tree. Both meals and experiences turned out fine.

When we went in late September 2018, I brought disposable ponchos for everyone on every day. It rained one night in the week we were there. It was weird.

I'm not spending money or time on park hopping. 1 park per day. Also, that waiting in line thing... Peter Pan is NOT worth anything more than a 20 min wait. Even Pooh. And unpopular opinion, Slinky not more than 35. It's cute but, meh. Totally willing to wait 60+ min for Rise though.

Thank you for another great video 👍

Animal Kingdom is perfect park for rainy days. We went on a day that it down poured; less crowd. Safari ride had 10 minute wait.Walked around animal exhibits. Picked the animals out of the tree. Made an awesome day out of it.

If a ride shuts down for bad weather, staying in the queue lets you avoid going out in the storm. If a ride breaks down and you're close enough to see the loading station, it might be worth it to stay because you can see firsthand what the ride operators are doing and whether there's progress being made. But if I'm in line when a ride breaks down and I'm pretty far away from the loading station, I usually will wait 15 minutes and then bail.

Our solution to meals at DW? snacks and bottled water in a backpack, and stop at a local fast food place on our way back to our hotel.

regarding #1- the my disney experience app now has a “car locator” feature! not a gps, but you can track the section and row you parked in!

I agree to no park hopping to totally enjoy one park at the time. It’s very exhausting to always on the move under the hot weather.

Not gonna lie I'm guilty of standing in line for a (half) broken ride. It was back in January with relatively busy crowds and one of Tower's tracks was down leaving the one shaft. Turned a 30 min wait into an hour and in hindsight I should've just gone to another attraction or shopped down Hollywood Blvd in the meantime. Love the ride but hate wasting time for sure

This is really good advice. It’s hot. You spent all this money. You have this vision in your head of how it’s going to go. And you forget to think about all these great points to help each member of your party. Awesome thanks for making this.

Our first visit to WDW we waited a while to get good view and then had a bad experience with the enchantment fireworks(some people are rude) lol it was so stressful we decided to skip harmonious… that was a mistake!!! 🤦🏼‍♀️ wish I had seen this video before our trip! I hope one day we can go back! 😂 thank you for the tips!!

we have 3 weeks left until we are there!!!

Pro Tip: TAKE OFF YOUR HATS AND EARS! Rides like Rise of the Resistance, Remy, and Mickey & Minnie are a trackless ride system that have sensors all over the floor to detect ride vehicles. If you leave your hat on and it falls off, it will mess up the sensors and the ride will have to be reset. This is why when those rides go down they are a doozy to get back up and running. This also applies to kids with toys, pacifiers/dummies, etc. if they drop them outside the vehicle, it causes the same sensor issues! Just take it all off and put it all away!

How to "get out of Dodge fast" aka the Magic Kingdom, after the fireworks? Avoid having to find transportation at all by staying at the Contemporary Resort and walking home along the path. Also great for getting there for rope drop first thing in the morning. No need to wait for the bus or monorail, just use your feet and 10 later you are there!

I go to Disneyland often throughout the year. We never waited in lines longer than an hour and we spent all family vacations there during the slowest days of the year. My parents grew up in Anaheim so they knew the slowest times. Holidays where families get together are best times to go. The best week is the weekend and Monday through Thursday after thanksgiving. Nearly no lines until after 6pm. Now if we plan to get the family together for a Disney trip we always plan the 7 days after thanksgiving. Never fails. Plus they usually transition to the Christmas decor that week going into December. Good luck all.

I don’t find the half hour rule necessary for Harmonious - went there in 11/21 and walked off Remy’s as it was starting. Still found a fantastic spot where we didn’t feel squished! It’s well worth staying for.

Hey dfb, this video actually had me wondering if you have a video all about coffee. I'm planning a trip with my sister who does not function until she has that first cup of coffee. This in the past has caused me a lot of frustration when we are rope dropping at Starbucks... I'm a recovered caffeine addict, that rarely drinks coffee and the 3rd person in our group doesn't drink it at all. If you guys could do a video about the best places to get that first cup of coffee (besides at the hotel) I know I would love to watch something like that.

We used to live in New Orleans and went there during Mardi Gras week in February. Go off-season, best idea ever

you can also mark your parking spot by dropping a pin in maps, always works for me!

"TTC is basically a black hole where time goes to die..."= I laughed so hard I nearly wet my pants.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Disney world but I remember it being pretty quick to just walk or take a boat from Epcot to Hollywood studios, I feel like it’s more a waste of time to take the skyliner, but maybe that’s all changed now too