Let’s just get right to it: “Winging it” at Disney World is, shall we say, not the greatest idea.
Spaceship Earth
Maybe it sounds tempting, especially if you’re someone who likes to live in the moment, but trust us when we say that showing up at Disney World with no game plan can be a recipe for disaster, especially if it’s your first time (or even your second or third visit). The last thing we want for you is that you end up missing out on some of the best experiences, wasting time, or even making the trip more stressful than magical. So let’s have a quick chat on why you absolutely need a plan for your next Disney World trip.
As we were saying, there’s a whole lot that’s going on at Disney World — so much more than most people realize. If you don’t have a plan for what you’re going to do, you might end up having a less than magical trip. So, let’s talk about why you need a plan.
Winging It? More Like Setting Yourself Up for Chaos.
Unless you’re an Orlando local who spends their weekends navigating the parks like a pro (shoutout to you if that’s the case!), showing up at Disney World without a strategy is risky. You could be setting yourself up for long waits, missed opportunities, and a whole lot of confusion.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Case in point, one of our writers had this conversation at her hair appointment recently. The hairdresser mentioned she was taking her family to Disney World the next week, so naturally, our writer started asking her a few questions:
“Have you studied up on the Virtual Queue system?”
Her hairdresser paused, “I think I’ve heard of that before, yeah.”
“Are you getting any Lightning Lanes?”
The hairdresser responded, “You mean FastPasses?”
“Are you planning on going to EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival?”
The hairdresser replied, “Nah, I don’t think I want to pay extra for that event.”
Our writer gave her some quick pointers to help save the trip from disaster (along with getting a cute haircut, of course), but this just goes to show how many people treat Disney World like it’s a regular ol’ vacation. Spoiler alert: It’s NOT. This is a highly choreographed, detail-packed experience that requires some prep work.
It’s Not Like a State Fair, People
Look, I get it. When you think “theme park,” it’s easy to imagine something along the lines of a state fair. You can easily figure, “I’ll just buy my ticket, show up, and everything will magically work itself out, right?” Wrong.
Lightning Lane
Imagine you’re spending thousands of dollars on a once-in-a-lifetime trip (because that’s what Disney World is for many people) and end up missing out on some MAJOR experiences (like whole sections of the park) just because you didn’t do a little homework. The truth is, Disney World isn’t one of those trips where you can afford to show up unprepared.
Food and Wine Festival
From ride reservations to understanding the virtual queue system, to knowing the best places to eat, to catching special events like EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival — there’s just so much going on.
Disney World is AMAZING — If You Plan It Right!
Now, don’t get me wrong—Disney World is hands down one of the most magical places you can visit (it’s right there in the name), but that magic comes with a learning curve. Without a plan, you could end up spending hours standing in line for one ride when you could’ve reserved a Lightning Lane spot and avoided all that.
Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival
You could be walking right past must-see attractions because you didn’t realize they’re tucked away in a corner of the park. But here’s the good news: You don’t have to figure this all out alone. That’s where we come in!
We’ve Got Your Back!
Here at DFB, we’ve got all the resources you need to make your trip smooth and stress-free. Whether you’re planning out your must-do rides or figuring out how to budget for all the snacks you’ll be trying, we’ve got free planning worksheets, timelines, printable planners, and packing lists just for you.
So, if you’re thinking about winging it at Disney World, consider this your friendly but firm reminder: DON’T. Put in a little prep work, and you’ll thank us when you’re riding your favorite ride with zero wait time, snacking at all the best spots, and not wandering around wondering where to go next.
Until then, keep following DFB for all the latest from Disney!
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My favorite Disney planning tip is Scar’s advice: Be Prepared. At a minimum, read up on DFB and other good WDW resources and know what to expect, even if you don’t want to “plan.” If you insist on being “spontaneous” and not “over planning,” at least know what to expect in that event. I am a HUGE believer in planning, ADRs, and almost everything that you can plan in advance fro WDW. For me, planning is not the antithesis of flexibility at WDW, planning is the foundation of flexibility at WDW. You can always decide not to do something that you have planned, but there are many things that you can’t do if you haven’t planned to in advance. I can’t imagine spending what it takes to go to WDW for a full on vacation and not making the most out of that. And for the vast majority of people, it won’t be possible to get what you want out of it without planning. I know people who won’t go to WDW because they know the planning involved to make the best of it, and they don’t want to do that planning. That’s fine. I agree that they should not go. They will be unhappy and likely make people around them unhappy.
Winging it is for Floridians with an annual pass. Winging it is not for people visiting 5 nights from Baltimore.
Winging it can also work for solo travelers. If you only have yourself to consider, you don’t need to plan nearly as much as you do with a group. I once went to Epcot with no plan at all, other than to fill my popcorn bucket at some point, and I had a great day.