How to Experience the Ultimate Family Vacation to Disney World

For many families, a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Perhaps you’ve saved for years or your kids are finally the right ages to really enjoy the theme parks. Whatever the reason, the universal truth is that families are looking to get the most bang for their buck out of a Disney vacation.

As a Florida resident who has experienced her fair share of everything Disney World has to offer, I’m here to share some tips for maximizing your time at Disney.

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Stay on Property

Yes, Disney Resorts can be a bit more expensive than other accommodations, but for good reason. You get complimentary transportation, extra magic hours in the parks, the convenience of Magic Bands and even Disney Dining Plans.

As a resort guest, you’ll also get advanced access to book FastPass+ reservations so you’ll be able to snag rides like Frozen Ever After, Toy Story Mania! and Peter Pan’s Flight which are notoriously popular rides with long waits.

All time-saving benefits aside, the Disney Resorts are simply the most magical. You and your kids will be riding that Disney high throughout your entire stay.

A beautiful resort like the Grand Floridian will make your vacation feel like a dream with the orchestra playing in the stunning lobby and the fancy turndown service each afternoon. However, value resorts like All-Star Sports Resort are wonderful options, too!

Hit the Best Rides

Use your FastPass+ reservations wisely by choosing popular rides like Soarin' Around the World in Epcot or Avatar Flight of Passage, the new ride in Pandora - The World of Avatar located in Animal Kingdom. If you can't reserve them with FastPass+, arrive at the parks right at opening time and make a dash for the rides you want to experience for a shorter wait time.

If you haven’t been to Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studies, make it a top priority in your FastPass+ strategy. Even my 3-year-old could ride the new Slinky Dog Dash coaster and couldn’t stop raving about it afterward. Kids will also love the new Alien Swirling Saucers ride and the friendly competition inspired by Toy Story Mania.

Another can’t-miss ride is Test Track presented by Chevrolet in Epcot. Kids will have a blast designing their own cars to see how they will perform under all conditions just like the real engineers who design Chevy vehicles. Their experience on the ride will feel richer knowing they had a hand in the process.

VIP Tour

Before you begin planning every detail of your time in the Disney parks, I would encourage you to look into the Disney VIP Tour. Basically, you have a VIP Guide with you for the duration of your tour that acts as your human fast pass. Honestly, though, the VIP Tour is so much more than getting on your favorite rides as efficiently as possible (though that’s pretty cool).

Your guide knows the parks inside and out and will customize your day to include everything you want to experience and more. If you have a park hopper pass, that even includes private transportation between parks.

They will share insider information with you, welcome you with snacks and cold water, push your strollers, befriend your kids, get you VIP seating for parades and generally make your life magical for a day. By the end of our tour, our guide truly felt like an honorary member of our family.

The VIP Tour is perfect for families who want to experience as much as possible in the shortest amount of time, families with young kids who can’t handle long queues and families that don’t have time to plan every detail of every day but still want a magical trip.

Have a Park Strategy

If the VIP Tour isn’t your thing, you can at least make use of some great tips I got from our guide. Of course, when you plan your trip matters. Visiting during shoulder seasons when school is in session is cheaper and less crowded.

However, even if you must go during school breaks, you can still make the most of your vacation. Our guide suggested visiting on a Sunday, especially early in the morning. It’s usually the least crowded day, as most people are traveling.

He also advised us to tackle Magic Kingdom by starting in Adventureland while everyone else is going toward Tomorrowland when they enter the park. You want to be strategic about FastPass+ reservations and ride planning so you’re not crisscrossing the park and wasting time.

Finally, with young kids on a hot day, you can alternate between outside and inside rides to get a break from the hot sun. Attractions like the Hall of Presidents, the Muppet Vision 3D and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover are all great ways to rest your feet and enjoy the air conditioning.

Take A Day Trip

While Disney World will give you some of the most magical family memories of your life, everyone needs a break from the sensory overload, and a day trip to the beach is the perfect way to do that.

We found the Chevy Traverse to be the perfect family road trip vehicle to rent for the day. The in-vehicle Wi-Fi was great for entertaining the kids, and we loved being able to start the car from our phones so it began running the air conditioning before we got in. Visitors to the great state of Florida will have no trouble finding their way around with the On-Star navigation on the vehicle's touchscreen.

If you’re longing to see the ocean, Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral are a mere hour away from Orlando. You can get your fill of the salty air at Cocoa Beach, then spend a few hours at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. It is at once educational and entertaining and a great spot for kids who are fascinated by space. Even our young children found a lot to enjoy there!

Also within driving distance from Orlando are St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay and Clearwater. If you know you’ll be packing beach gear, the Traverse has lots of cargo storage space for the essentials. Smart slide seating made it easy for us to climb in the backseat to buckle kids into their car seats, which is every parent's favorite task!

Whether you spend a week straight in the Disney parks or explore the surrounding cities, you’re bound to make memories to last a lifetime. All it takes is a little bit of planning and a sprinkle of Disney magic!

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Thanks to Chevrolet for providing a Chevy Traverse to facilitate our trip and for a wonderful stay at Disney World.

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