WDW Prep School
Disney World planning for smart people! Learn all about how to optimize your time and money during your trip.
Our 5 fave character meals 🍽
WDW Prep School Hello there - We meet again on a Friday to chat about something I hope will help with your Disney World trip planning. Today I wanted to chat about what we think are the BEST character meals at Disney World. With so many choices and a high price tag, we know how hard it can be to narrow it down. Here are our 5 current favorite character meals. 1. Topolino's (breakfast) This 1 is popular for a reason. Things we love here: Delicious food that's not a buffet Classic characters in...
6 ways for low waits, no Lightning Lanes
WDW Prep School Hello again - I thought we could chat today about alternatives to Lightning Lanes since the expense and trouble of using them is sometimes more than people are willing to take on for their vacation. But even without Lightning Lanes, we don’t want you to have to wait in long lines. Here are some strategies you can use instead of (or in addition to) booking Lightning Lanes. 1. After Hours events We are huge fans of the After Hours events (when they’re available) because not only...
3 things Disney World just changed
WDW Prep School Hello and happy Friday - We've seen a few things change at Disney World recently and wanted to make sure you knew about them. No, this list doesn't include Virtual Queues which did just change, but we already emailed about that on Wednesday. If you missed it, here's some info about riding Tiana's and Cosmic Rewind now that VQs are going away as of February 25. 1. Two hour grace period on Lightning Lanes For years, the grace period to tap in to a Lightning Lane was 15 minutes,...
Best Disney World resorts by travel type
WDW Prep School Hello - I wanted to chat Disney World resorts today and which ones are best for different types of parties. I truly believe there are pros and cons of every resort (we've stayed in them all multiple times) and that it's really a matter of finding the right fit for you. There are lots of factors to consider - budgets, travel group, number of people - but here are some ideas for different travel groups. Families with young kids If we were starting our Disney World travel...
How to rope drop without chaos
WDW Prep School Hello and happy Friday - I wanted to chat today about what an ideal park morning looks like for us in order to minimize waits while also avoiding the chaos that sometimes accompanies park opening time. A quick rundown of an ideal morning for us: 1.5-2 hours before Early Theme Park Entry (ETPE): wake up and eat breakfast in the room 1 hour or 1 hr 15 minutes before ETPE: be at the bus/Skyliner/boat/monorail so you're at the front of the pack to arrive at the theme park 45...
An ideal Disney trip timeline
Hello and happy Friday to you - One of the things that has changed a lot over the last several years is the ideal timeline for planning a Disney World trip, so I wanted to break it down here to make sure you don't miss a step. I'm going to use our 6-step planning process as a guide to work through the timeline. 6+ months ahead of time More than 6 months before your trip begins, you should have steps 1 (picking your dates) and 2 (choosing lodging) figured out. You need to make sure you’re...
3 things Disney World doesn't tell you
Hello and happy Friday to you - I wanted to chat today about things Disney tells people that just aren't true in reality so you have the info handy for your trip. 1. Some reservations open at midnight eastern time Disney says that most advanced reservations can be made at 6 a.m. eastern time. That's true for dining, but that's not true for many of the things Disney calls "Enchanting Extras" which actually open at midnight eastern time. If you wait until 6 a.m., the most popular things could...
Talking Lightning Lanes & Epcot Touring
WDW Prep School Complete Guide to Disney Lightning Lane Passes This week, Disney opened up the ability for anyone (onsite or off) to purchase the pricey Lightning Lane Premier Pass. If you're new to the Lightning Lane game or just need a refresher, we have a guide that will explain all the ins and outs of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Single Pass, and Premier Pass. Get all the details → New podcast! Emily and Katie traveled for an adult friends’ trip to Central Florida. Katie uses a wheelchair...
Want to save on a Disney trip?
WDW Prep School Hello and happy Friday to you! I know a lot of people are in planning mode for 2025 trips, and Disney even kicked off the year with several promotions so I wanted to take a few minutes to chat about ways you can save. Promotions Let's start with promotions which include things like a % off, Free Dining, etc. These are released periodically by Disney and can be used when making new bookings or you can modify an existing booking to take advantage of a new offer. ➡️ Here's all...
Can we chat Disney cruising?
WDW Prep School Hello there - Hope you're staying warm wherever you are. This cold weather gets people thinking a lot about traveling to warmer places, including Disney World and Caribbean cruises. I used to call myself "not a cruise person" but as I hit platinum status on Disney Cruise Line this year, I think it's time to accept that I'm at least a Disney cruise person. I truly think that cruises are 1 of the things Disney does best, and it's become a fave way to travel the last few years....
Disney World planning for smart people! Learn all about how to optimize your time and money during your trip.