9 Important Ways to Prep for Disney World (That You Probably Won’t Think About)

There are plenty of common and necessary ways prep for Disney World. This includes booking Lightning Lanes and Dining Reservations in advance, planning how you’ll get from the airport, and so much more.

But there are also plenty of important smaller things you can (and should) do to prep for your trip that are easy to overlook.

With that in mind, here are 9 important ways to prep for a Disney World Vacation that you probably won’t think about.

Walking

Disney World is A LOT of walking! One of the best things you can do to prep for a Disney World trip is to start walking regularly a few months in advance.

It’s doubtful that you’ll ever be able to truly mimic or work up to a full park day. But if you’re not someone who walks all that much, adding regular walks to your routine will do wonders for your trip.

Footwear

Related to the previous point, you want to make sure you have quality footwear. It’s also a good idea to wear this footwear on your prep walks so you know your shoes comfortable, broken in, and won’t give you blisters.

If you aren’t sure what to wear, sneakers or another similarly supportive shoe is great for cooler and dryer months (Octoberish-April).

During the rainier months (May-Septemberish), you might be better off with a hiking sandal or something similar. The key is for your shoe to be comfortable for a day of walking and be able to handle getting wet.

I learned the hard way that sneakers during rainy season isn’t a good call. It rained so hard that my shoes and socks ended up soaked.

Spending the rest of the day with soggy feet was not fun, and I found myself cutting my park day short because I was so uncomfortable.

Plan your breaks and down days

I will always preach the importance of taking breaks in Disney World. Because the reality is, Disney is more fun when you’re rested.

However, it can be really easy to get caught up in the magic and want to go, go, go. To help with this, I find it beneficial to plan breaks and down days ahead of time.

This way, you know for sure you’ve got that rest time locked in and protected.

Consider making plans outside the parks

Most of the Disney World plans and advice out there are about the parks themselves. But the reality is, there’s a lot to do outside the parks.

Honestly, if you wanted to, you could probably fill an entire week of of activities at the Resorts and Disney Springs alone. Each of these locations have plenty of great restaurants and experiences that don’t require a park ticket.

These activities are great for arrival days, departure days, or any day where you might be taking a break from the park but still want to have a magical experience.

If you’re looking for some ideas, check out this post with 11 things you can do in Disney World outside the parks.

Water

Many people strongly dislike the taste of Orlando water because it has a high sulfur content. Because of this, it’s a good idea to have a water plan.

You probably don’t want to buy overpriced water in the parks, so here are a few options to consider. If you have any other ideas, share them in the comments!

• Bringing your own bottled water, if it’s feasible
• Have it delivered from a grocery store (Garden Grocer is a popular choice)
• Bring a filtered refillable water bottle to fill up as needed around the parks (this is my personal preference)
• Get electrolyte packets (like Liquid IV) to add to tap water

Charging your phone on the go

Phones often play a very big role in any modern Disney trip. Between checking wait times, booking Lightning Lanes, and just trying to keep track of your group, a charged and functioning phone is practically essential.

The extra use and the fact that you’ll likely have to have your brightness turned up to see your screen in the Florida sun means you’re battery is likely to drain faster that usual.

As a result, it’s a good idea to have a plan for charging your phone on the go.

Some ideas to consider are to bring a portable charger, bring your charger to the parks to use at meals/on breaks/whenever you can find an outlet, or you can buy a portable charger from a third-party operated kiosk in Disney. You can learn more about these kiosks and see where they’re located here.

Start wait time watching 1-2 weeks out

When you get close to your trip, start checking the wait times on the My Disney Experience App throughout your day. The really big rides will almost always have long waits, but you might start to notice some rides are prone to shorter wait times at different points throughout the day.

It might not always be the same time everyday, but just knowing that a ride has regular periods of low wait times means you’ll know to keep an eye out when you’re on your trip.

This was something I learned years ago when my family had to make so hard FastPass cuts. Soarin’ is one of my Dad’s favorites.

We were spending two days in Epcot, but with how the tiered system was structured at the time, we could only get a Soarin’ FastPass for one day. My Dad really wanted to go on it each day.

I have a habit of checking wait times just for fun even when I’m not at the parks, and I noticed that Soarin’ would regularly have periods where there was only a 15-20 minute wait.

When we were in Epcot, I kept an eye on the Soarin’ wait times on our non-FastPass day, and sure enough, the wait time dropped and we were able to jump on the ride with minimal wait.

Locate the First Aid Stations

And while you’re in My Disney Experience watching the wait times, it’s a good idea to locate the First Aid stations in each park.

Of course, there are always Cast Members around to help if you need it, but it’s helpful to know this info just in case.

You can find this in the app by going to the park map (the pin drop icon, next to the home icon at the bottom of the screen), then scrolling through the options at the top of the screen until you get to Guest Services.

Then, you’re going to look for the First Aid icon. For instance, in Magic Kingdom, you’ll find the First Aid station not too far from Main Street, behind Casey’s Corner.

A souvenir plan

If you’re planning on buying souvenir’s you’ll need a plan to get them home with you. You might have more flexibility if you’re driving, but regardless, space is usually at a premium when you’re traveling.

So if buying souvenirs are a part of your Disney game plan, here are a few ideas to get them home:

• If you want to bring your own food/water, you can pack them in their own suitcase, then use the suitcase for souvenirs going home.
• You can pack an extra bag in your luggage to fill with souvenirs.
• You can ship your souvenirs home.

And of course, if you’re looking to limit your souvenirs, restricting the space you have to get them home is a great way to do it.

How will you prep for Disney World? Do you have any uncommon put important prep tips I missed? Tell us about them in the comments!