Making Your Trip More Magical

As far as I am concerned, everyone can use a little extra magic in their Disney vacation. Whether you’re working from a strict budget or not, these are some of our best suggestions to make your time at the most magical place on earth even more magical!  

Brings Disney Snacks & Products From Home 

There are a long list of reasons that I always recommend packing snacks and other necessities when you travel. Not only does it make your life easier, but it can also save a significant amount of money. Now, if you’re anything like me, the savings alone can be considered pretty magical in and of itself. But wait. . . . it gets better! 

While you’re planning your next Disney vacation, keep an eye out for special Disney branded items like breakfast cereal, granola bars, fruit snacks or even juice boxes. These items are not only easy to pack in your luggage and bring with you, but they are also great alternatives to the snacks you’ll find at the parks. The same can be said for other products like hand sanitizer, pocket tissues and baby wipes [which, by the way, are a must have whether or not there is a baby in your party]. 

If you’ve got slightly older children, or adults that act like children [. . . no judgement. . . that’d be me] in your party, you can also reach for some fun items that you might not normally get. For example, glitter hair gel or suntan lotion. The sky’s the limit here! 

Build An Itinerary

In the minds of many, having an itinerary is having structure and that’s not necessarily what people are hoping for when they take a vacation of any kind; especially Disney. However, with Disney being both expensive and a bit overwhelming, having some idea of what your wants and needs and [arguably more importantly] how they line up with your plans for the day, can make all the difference. One way to do this that I have found to be incredibly effective over the years, not to mention a whole lot of fun, is building out an itinerary. 

Building out an itinerary is not as scary or tedious as it sounds. In fact, it’s a great way to get your party involved in the planning and excited for the upcoming trip. We’ve talked about building your own itinerary and what you might want to include before, but there’s a reason we’re adding it to this list specifically. Not only can an itinerary help you figure out what you want to do and when you might want to do it, but if executed properly, having an itinerary can make sure that you do the things most important to the people you’re traveling with. Though it might seem like you’d never forget doing that particular thing or seeing that special character, Disney can be quite overwhelming and there’s nothing that will suck the magic right out of your trip like realizing [especially on your last day or after you get home] that you missed out on something you really wanted to do. 

Have Meltdown Busters

Speaking of sucking the magic right out of your Disney vacation. . . . 

Have you ever traveled with someone [child or adult]  who had a meltdown, or lost their cool, during a vacation? I have. . . . and I’ll be the first to say that it’s definitely not magical for anyone involved. Of course, there’s no way to completely prevent a meltdown. We all have our limits! However, there are a few things you can do in order to reduce the chance that they will happen and even diffuse the situation should it arise. 

We’ll be getting into some more specifics and suggestions [including some yeah-we’re-laughing-now stories of our past experiences] in a future discussion, but the long and short of it goes a little something like this: you know your family and what makes them tick. . . . don’t assume those traits go away simply because “Disney”. [I promise you. . . it’s not that magical.] You’d be amazed how much more magical your Disney vacation can be when you pack a simple item or prepare for a possible outcome. 

Spring For Memory Maker

Memory Maker, in the most basic terms, is this thing you buy at Walt Disney World that allows you to download all of the photos that have been taken of your party during your vacation. This includes photos from attractions and photos taken by photographers throughout the parks. All of the photos are sent directly to your MyDisneyExperience app and you can browse and/or download them for your viewing pleasure. 

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that there was a time when I thought Memory Maker was a waste of money. With prices ranging from $69.00 for one day to $199.00 [discounts available for advance purchase] for the duration of your trip, my position was that you could have the same photographers take your photo in the same place for free and the money could be better used elsewhere. . . . . then I got Memory Maker and it changed everything. 

There are the obvious perks to Memory Maker, like not having to carry your own camera or rely on your phone and having unlimited downloads of the pictures, but it doesn’t stop there. Memory Maker also gives you the opportunity to download videos from some attractions and even get fun messages from your favorite pals! 

Stay On Property

Though it’s often a topic that many people like to debate, staying at one of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels is arguable the best way to add the most magic to your Disney vacation. Not only is there the long list of benefits that you can take advantage of, but it also gives you the opportunity to put your worries on the back burner and slip into vacation mode. Better yet, price points vary widely at the hotels on property making it manageable to stay on property whatever your budget. 

That’s a lot I can say about staying at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels. Having stayed at a wide variety over the years myself, I can tell you that the best part [aside from perks, benefits and convenience] is that no matter if you’re spending $150 per night or $800, you’re getting a quality experience packed with Disney magic! In fact, this is one of the things that I absolutely love about the hotels on property. . . . there’s nothing quite like ‘em. From the larger than life All Stars to the wild Animal Kingdom Lodge, you won’t soon forget your stay at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. 

Well. . . there we are! These are some of our favorite ways to make your Disney vacation more magical. Have you tried any of these in the past or are you considering giving some a go on your next trip?

See you spooks next time!