There is so much magic happening everywhere at Walt Disney World, it’s easy to miss a lot of the extras and fun activities that are available! I’ve put together some of my favourite tips to help you find extra magic, save more money and find activities that you may not have tried yet. Don’t forget to read all the way to the bottom to learn how to enter Trekaroo’s #sendmetodisney contest. You just might win a trip to see the mouse with your family!
Behind the Scenes Tours!
Have you heard of the behind the scenes tours? You have? Ok, how about Disney school?! Did you know that there are classes children of all ages can take in the parks? In the Disney Youth Education Series your children can learn about Marine Life Conservation at Nemo & Friends, Chemistry at Epcot Center, take a photography class at the Magic Kingdom, learn about Animal Behavior at Animal Kingdom and more! They get a behind the scenes educational view of one of their favourite attractions or shows. You can register individually for many of these educational sessions or go as a group.
Have you read the Kingdom Keepers books? I loved them! Now you can take a Kingdom Keepers Quest at Walt Disney World and save the Kingdom from the Villans! The Kingdom Keepers Quest is only available to youth groups of 10 or more.
Read All About It!
I highly recommend reading The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World by Susan Veness. If you really want to learn more about all the magical details Walt Disney and the Imagineers have placed all over Walt Disney World, it’s the book for you! I couldn’t put it down!
It is amazing how much more there is to see, such as the old-style phone mounted on the wall in the candy shop at the Magic Kingdom. If you pick up the receiver, you can hear a conversation between a mother and her daughter on a party line. They discuss what they are going to buy at the store, the cost of things, and how to attract a man. Every now and then, a nosey eavesdropper, Miss Klump, listens in and is politely told to hang up by the mother. This book will really take the magic to the next level!
Visit Other Disney Hotels!
Did you know that you can visit all of the Disney Resort Hotels, even if you aren’t staying on site, to dine in their restaurants or check out their activities?! One of the most memorable Disney World activities is taking in an outdoor movie, under the stars, with Chip & Dale.
There’s a nightly sing-a-long and movie at the Fort Wilderness Resort featuring the cutest chipmunks around, a campfire and marshmallow roast and a classic Disney movie under the stars. It’s a magical and relaxing way to end a day at Walt Disney World and you don’t have to be a Disney resort guest to attend!! Don’t miss out on getting a smores kit from the snack bar!
Did you know that you don’t have to pay for a photopass at Walt Disney World to get great photos? If you ask them, the photographers around the parks will snap a shot for you using your own camera! How amazing is that!
One of the best resources around is the Disney Moms Panel. This Disney website is full of tips, including great spots to see the fireworks! All you have to do is search for your question to find a lot of possible answers. Almost everything has been asked at least once before, but if you don’t see anything then post a new question and one of the moms will get back to you!
Ask The Moms Panel!!
While all the restaurants at Disney feature amazing food and a magical atmosphere, some go above and beyond. I’ve already mentioned that we love dining in Cinderella’s Castle and all of the dinner shows and character dinners are amazing. You should definitely take in one of them during your trip. If you’re looking for something truly fun for little ones at a reasonable price, check out the Whispering Canyon Café at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It’s a fun (but loud) atmosphere for young kids. Children can ride wooden horses around the restaurant and you have to yell “Ketchup” really loud if you want some. You won’t have to worry about bored children here!
One of my favorite Disney tips is that you can split meals at Disney restaurants or order from the kids menu. Disney portions tend to be huge so you can pay less by eating off the kids menu or splitting a meal with your child or spouse. Don’t forget to take leftovers back to the hotel for a snack later on! We also tend to do a nice big sit down meal at lunch and a take out meal for supper. This can sometimes save you money and gives you a nice break in an air conditioned restaurant at lunch.
I have one final really important tip for today! If you don’t already know about the crowd calendars from Undercover Tourist take a look at them! They have been a life saver for our family, especially if visiting at a busy time like Christmas. Look for the days that are green so that the park you’re visiting won’t be as busy. Get there very early – at least a half hour before the gates are due to open. It’s also a good idea to buy a park hopper pass so that you can use the extra magic hours at two parks if you’re staying on site! I guess that was more than one tip!
Read Trekaroo Reviews & Blog Posts!
I love sharing my knowledge about Walt Disney World so that other families can have the most magical vacation possible! Make sure you also visit Trekaroo’s Disney Days 2016 for many more tips, planning tools and reviews of Walt Disney World, Disneyland attractions, hotels and restaurants! You can also enter to win one of two amazing prizes during their #sendme2disney sweepstakes:
Win a trip to Walt Disney World!
Package includes three-day park hopper passes for a family of four (two adults, two children) plus six (6) nights’ accommodation!
Win a trip to Disneyland & Southern California!
Package includes CityPass tickets for a family of four (includes three-day park hopper entrance to Disneyland and California Adventure) plus three nights’ at the Anaheim Courtyard Theme Park Entrance hotel.
How amazing is that!! Which trip would you choose if you won?
wonderful tips!
Great info! Thanks!
When I’m eating out I’ll do lunch instead of dinner. Prices are usually much better.
So many great tips!! I never knew about the Chip n Dale movie or the education classes!! So awesome!! Thank you so much!! I can’t wait to take my little guy!
We can’t wait to get back to Disneyworld one of these days! We visit Disneyland every year, but look forward to the additional attractions at Disney World!
Very useful tips
I love all the tips but sometimes it can be overwhelming
Tips for Finding Even More Magic looks like an amazing day to make the vacation even more magical – something I didn’t even think was possible. I could see my children loving to “discover” some of these hidden treasures.
I would love to go just once
Great Tips
Thank you for the awesome tips 🙂 these will come in handy next month!
Thanks so much for all the great info
Great tips!!!
Such great tips! Thank you.
Thanks!!
Thanks for all the great ideas. Would love to go one day.
great tips!!
Great tips! Disney is my dream vacation to take my children too!
These tips sound wonderful and very useful!
I didn’t know most of these existed.
This is great information! Thank you for the book recommendations.
Great tips. I have to get that book.
Omg, I am overwhelmed, but excited.. there is SO much to do and tips/secrets!! thanks for this post!!
Great article!
I’m going to buy that Hidden magic book.
Wow! I’m going to have to check out those books!
know before you go, do your research. sign up for Disney coupon sites
I need to go look at that crowd calendar for our WDW trip! That’s an awesome tool to use.
Thank you for the tips! These will help a lot when we go to WDW.
Such amazing things for kids and families, thanks for the tips. If I ever get the chance to go to Disney, I will keep these in mind.
It is really easy to forget about the other resorts. However, there are a lot of fun and exicting things to do at the deluxe and deluxe villa resorts.
thanks for the comments and tips
Great ideas! I had no idea I could ask a Disney photographer to take pics with my own camera!
they all sound good but there very expensive
Great Article …. I Love Disney !!
Al the tips are great to know ! Love that I can ask a Disney photographer can take pictures with own camera.
I definitely want some hidden magic. I even want some apparent magic! I will take magic in general!
Thank you for this! Very helpful!
You have some fantastic tips. I’ve been to Disney World many times and some of these things are new to me. I really want to read The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World it sounds like it would enhance our next trip there.
Geez, there are way too many comments
would love to go to Disney with all these amazing tips
They actually have classes for the kids .. that’s pretty neat and exciting
Thanks!
I love Disney! And I love the tips!
Can’t wait to go back to Disney now that I know all these great tips.
Great tips- thanks!
Seriously great tips – thanks!
Some Great ideas-thanks!! and some would be great to do when ride lines are long
Carry extra camera batteries and chargers for your phone. You need extra battery life at the end of the day firework show!
I had no idea how complicated it could be to plan a Disney trip. All of these tips really helped me. I have this page bookmarked, thank you!
Wow what a beautiful place.Thanks for all this information
I hope to put these great tips to good use one day soon. I have been dreaming about going since I was a child. My son has done the same, I hope to be able to get the experience of Disney one day soon.
I hadn’t heard of the behind the scenes tours before… how fun!!!
With all this info, I’m ready to go!
some great ideas
Great information!
great tips
Thanks for the tips – Undercover Tourist is a MUST for planning a trip to WDW.
There are tons of books out there that help you appreciate Disney Parks more. I recommend starting with John Hench’s “Designing Disney” and Aaron Wallace’s “Thinking Fan’s Guide to Walt Disney World.”
The tip about the calendars was super neat! I had no idea that they existed!
Great information!
I can’t wait to go!!!!
I wasn’t aware of the crowd calendar. Great tip!
Thank you for all the great tips to make the Disney trip the most eventful. So many fun things to do that i would hate to miss.
These are great ideas! I love the tip about picking up the phone, how fun is that?
So many great tips! I need to check out the Orlando Crowd Calendar to look for the best dates when Disney will not be so crowded!
The crowd calendar is great! I love all of these tip! Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to bring my family.
The crowd calendar has been a life saver for us, thectip on sharing meals is fabulous, will try this next time we are there!
These are more great ideas. I did know about some of the information listed, but not all of it and I have been going to Disney World almost since I was born and enjoy it every time! It has gotten to be expensive and am always looking for ways to visit cheaper. I did not know about Kingdom Keepers Quest or The Hidden Magic at Walt Disney World. I just recently learned about the Undercover Tourist and the different days that are more crowded than others – which did help us with planning every day – but we were also exhausted by all the different things you could do! Thanks for tips I will look into these books!
Hi Alison, my favourite way to get a deal at Disney is to get free dining in the off season. With older kids it really pays off for us. Thanks for your comment!
My husband and I have always wanted to do a behind the scenes tour. Hopefully next trip we will be able to work this in!
We always eat lunch at “Beaches and Cream” when at EPCOT. Just take the path to the right before crossing the bridge from England to France. Past the gift shop is an exit where a free boat ride will take you to the Yacht and Beach Club. Beaches and Cream is at the pool between the resorts. Try a Frozen Sunshine while you dine at a 50’s soda shop. Poodle skirts and all. Less than 10 min. from EPCOT and a world away.
Great idea! Thanks for the suggestion!
Great Tips!
Definitely going to check out some of the books mentioned! I think my 8-year-old would love the Kingdom Keepers series. Thanks!
It’s a great series. I even loved it!
So great to know the photographers are willing to take pictures. I would love to be in more pics! Thanks for the great information!
You’re welcome Amie!
I love trivia and little details. Before our first trip (2007), I had absorbed so many little tidbits that folks couldn’t believe it was my first trip. Thanks for sharing a few of things that are often overlooked.
Thank u
So cool! I was a nerdy kid, so I probably would’ve begged my parents to send me to one of the classes if I had known about them!
Very interesting and helpful read
Great tips!
Rider Switch – If you have young kids, rider switch is great. You go to the fast past entrance and ask for a Rider Switch Card. Then, one adult goes on the ride with an older child while the other adult waits with the younger one. Then, the adult who waited can ride with the older child with little wait by using the card.
This is such an amazing thing for parents. I still can’t believe I never used it when my kids were young!
awesome!!!
Thanks for the tips – good stuff to know.
I’ll use these because we’re in the process of planning our trip.
I’m glad my tips will be helpful Mike!
I had no clue about the schools they offered. Great tips thank you!
These are really great tips, they all are things I could totally do! Thanks!
If my dream came true…being able to bring my family tio Disney, i would want to make it the most memorable because who knows when the whole family will ever go again and all together. And this is where the magic begins. My last time i went was when i was 8 and oh how i remember the magic, feeling like you were in fairytale land. This is my dream to take my two daughters and have them experience the same but better. This book of the wonderful tips eould be a blessing. One day just one my wish will come true not just for me but for my family.
Super helpful
great tips
Definitely agree with using UnderCover Tourist!! The crowd calendar is THE BEST tool!
It really is!
wow! This is great!
We always use the crowd predictor from Undercover Tourist when deciding when we are going and what parks on specific days. Always been right for us!
Us too. We love it!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. I really like the idea of sharing meals and even ordering from the child’s menu.
I’m super excited to go to Whispering Canyon! I love places like that!!!
I hope you enjoy it Krystyne!
Thank you for the tips!
These are some really awesome tips! I probably would have never known some of these things if I hadn’t read the blog!
Thanks Becky! I’m glad my post was helpful!
Wish I had these tips 20 yrs ago when I took my son
The crowd calendars make an amazing difference. Great tip!
Thanks for all the tips! Great advice!
These are awesome tips. Thanks for sharing these.
What a great set of tips–thanks!
My daughter loved the Kingdom Keeper books!
Awesome tips! Thank you!
great tips and sounds like fun
I love finding little fun extras for trips!
I had no clue that the old-style phone mounted on the wall in the candy shop at the Magic Kingdom really works!
Isn’t it fun finding new stuff at every visit! I love WDW!
We do too Lisa. There’s a never-ending list of things to do at Disney!
Great tips; thank you for taking the time to put them together for us!
These are some great ideas!
So many great tips that I never heard before, and I do love the Disney Moms Panel! They are a really great source of information, and can answer your specific questions about so many Disney related topics.
Great tips!
I loved this post!! Lots of great information. I hope to be able to take my grandchildren one day. I took my children well, too many years to mention! lol
Disney is truly the most magical place on Earth and your tips are awesome. Thanks.
Awesome tips, can’t wait to take my grandchildren to WDW they are the perfect age!
I love all of the tips and cool tricks that you give it almost makes going to the parks an easy trip.
Thanks for the tip about the crowd calendar. I had a look at it and used the information there to pick a better time for our Disney trip later this year.
Such awesome tips! I LOVED the Kingdom Keeper books! I had no idea about the classes kids could take. I’m definitely going to be reading the Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World book!
So many great tips. My family loves the Kingdom Keeper Series
Thanks!!
Thanks for the info! Will definitely be coming back when I plan my trip.
Wow, great tips, thanks! I’d love to go to the “Ketchup” restaurant, my kids would love that!
Whenever we do go we will need this for sure. My husband loves to do things with the family but planning times when it is not crowded will be important.
Loooooove these tips! Thank you! 🙂
Great tips! Thanks for your insight on traveling to Disney!
Fabulous article. Thank you for all the great tips. I had no idea that you could ask one of the photographers to take a pic with your own camera.
love these tips. thank you
Thank you for the great tips.
Crowd calendars are really accurate! We had the best time at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and followed a lot Undercover Tourist’s recommendations!
Thank you for all the great tips, hope I get to put them to use soon!!
Great tips!!!!
Great tips! One of my favorites is the “ketchup” tip — I’ve told friends about that one, of course, not letting them know in advance what was going to happen when they asked for “ketchup” while dining at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. *wink* *wink*
I needed this!
Great tips. I’ll for use refer to this site when we plan our next trip.
Excellent tips! Some I knew and others I didn’t.
I love all these hidden tips! I love the phone tip, talk about Disney magic! Can’t wait to get there again and try out all your tips.
Thanks,This is great info.
Awesome! I didn’t know about some of these tips! I LOVE learning more about Disney! Thank you!
I’m a big Disney fan and honestly never realized there’s a crowd calendar. Learn something new everyday! Such great advice and tips, thank you 🙂
Great post! I had no idea they allowed meal sharing. Some of the sit-down meals are a bit big when you’re not used to hot weather or after hitting up the rides all day. Half a meal would probably be perfect. Also, adults can eat off the kids menu? That’s great! Does it work for table service spots or just quick service?
Great tips!
I’m definitely going to visit a resort or two the next time we go to Disney! Love that idea!
Great info!
Such great advice!
What a lovey article
Ive never been here and its my bucket list.
Thanks for the great info.
Thank you for the tips.
thanks for the tips
thanks
Great tips
Love the dining tips! I cannot wait to get back to WDW!!
These are some awesome tips! My family missed out on taking advantage of the sit down meals when I was little. I really want to do some of those now.
Very interesting tips!
Sounds like a neat book!
We’re looking forward to dining at Cinderella’s Castle!
We LOVE dining at Cinderella’s Castle! It’s such a special place to meet a lot of princesses!
Love the tip about requesting the photographers to use my camera! I find my biggest expense is usually paying for all the extra photos that places usually get you to buy! Thanks!
Great info!
Fantastic tips! Will come in handy for our Disney trip next year!
love this
Ordering kids meals when you can is a great idea!
Would love to try all these tips!!
great info
I love all of these! Thanks for posting!!
Great tips!
Thanks for these wonderful tips.
Great article!
The photopass folks are wonderful and the deal is not so bad either!
Great info! Can’t wait to go to Disney!
I order the kids meals all the time…leaves room for more yummy treats later on
Great tips! We hope to eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe at our next trip
Super Tips. Thanks so much!
I always ask the photographers to take our picture . But I still buy from photo pass as well.
I love Disneyland and all things disney!!
Thanks for the information! very useful!
I’m not sure which one I would pick if I won.
This sounds like such a great idea!
Its crazy how much I didn’t know about Disney!
i love this
Ohh I can’t wait to go!! Thanks!!
I generally avoid camera guys as they’re too salesy, but if you can preview Photo Pass for free, why not?
Great tips! Would love to be able to go back in the future.
You have some great tips here! I would love to take my kids to Disney World again. My daughter has EXTREMELY bad anxiety and a few years ago we had taken her to Disney World (the one and only time we went) but she was so upset by everything the whole time she didn’t get to experience anything and we spent most of our time hiding away while she cried. Would love to take her back now that she has been in therapy and has learned the tools to overcome these panic attacks (she’s been other places she has put her practices in use) her goal is to one day go back there and overcome fears she has had
Hi Heather, I’m so sorry that she didn’t get to enjoy her experience last time. I hope you get the chance to take her back again some day. A suggestion: if crowds bother her definitely check the crowd calendar and plan your trip around the slowest time of the year if you can. Disney is so much more enjoyable for everyone when there are fewer people there!
Thanks for the tips! I’ll be ordering kid’s meals from now on, I never eat the whole adult portions.
Great tips that everyone needs when going to theme parks
Love this! Great Tips!
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Disney World…you find a new blog! Great information! Thank you for sharing. I love visiting the Disney resorts! There is so much to see and do.
Some great tips here. Would love to explore multiple resorts.
This sounds like a must read before going to WDW! Thanks!
Good advice. always love reading about Disney.
Wow these are great tips! I will have to find The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World before we go next time, I would love to discover all of that extra magic! Thank you for your tips!
Another fun thing to do is to get the Geocaches and virtual Geocaches at the theme parks. Geocaching is the global game the of hunting for and finding a hidden object by means of GPS coordinates. Check it out on geocaching.com. There are many geocaches at all of the parks including Disneyland and DCA.
Great tip! Thanks for commenting!
Another great option is the “Lots to Do in Line” book or app (with both Disney World and Disneyland editions). The “lite” version of the app is free, but it has a limited number of attractions and activities. The full (paid) version has stuff to do while you wait in line for *every* attraction in all of the parks. It also keeps score for up to 4 players and allows you to reset the scores and players for future visits. Each activity is packed with trivia that will really get you looking/ paying close attention in each of the queues.
Thanks for the suggestion and for commenting!
Awesome tips!
This is great info!
So many great ideas!!!
thanks for all of the disney info. planning a trip can be overwhelming so thank you for making planning a little easier
Wonderfully helpful tips! Thank you. I had never heard of the crowd calendar before – what a brilliant idea! So hoping to win of the trips for my little family <3
xoxo
Wonderful! Will use this. Thanks.
Great tip that the photographers will take your picture for you with your own camera. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the info! I already love Disney, but every time I hear more, the more impressed I become with Disney and everything the offer! Incredible!
What fun secrets!
Thank you for the amazing tips!!! I love learning about the fun secrets about Disney!!!!
Great ways to find more magic! The KETCHUP yelling my kiddos would love!
Love these tips that I haven’t ever read before. Can’t wait to visit again and be able to use them.
Great tip on Photopass. We always sign up for it ahead of time and then decide if we want to purchase after. I also loved taking advantage of the great photo opps by having them take a pict with my phone too!
We’ve always wanted to do the Kingdom Keepers Quest, but they don’t offer it for individual enrollment (at least, not in recent years). But we are super Ridley Pearson fans!
Hi Valerie, Thank-you for bringing this to my attention. I didn’t realize the Kingdom Keepers Quest was only for school groups. I hope they change this soon. We would love to do it someday too!
Cannot agree with you more about Undercover Tourist. Always our go-to for ticket sand tips.
We also tend to stick to the kids meals at Disney parks… well except my husband who has an *ahem* healthy appetite. But I’ve always found the kids meals to be more than enough.
Haha, my husband too! I have to admit I usually go for the adult meals too but I always take leftovers back to the hotel!
So many fun secrets. Now I really want to go back to Disney again soon!
Great tips! We’ve only been to Disney once, but I used Undercover Tourist – love that site!
Thanks for commenting Rachel
What wonderful tips! Thank you for sharing!! We’re headed to WDW in the spring and I’m so happy to have this info before going 🙂
Thank-you for commenting! I’m so glad this was useful to you. I would recommend booking any of the tours or dining experiences you want soon. Enjoy you trip!