Dana Stanley 00:00:01  Spring break is coming, and if you’re headed to Disney World, I just want to be real with you. It’s going to be crowded. Like, picture a lot of people and then picture more people, okay? Ideally, you’d be skipping this time of year altogether, but I know that’s not always possible when you’re working around school and work schedules. So if you are going when the crowds are high, let’s make sure you’re squeezing in every last drop of magic out of your trip. Because standing in 90 minute lines back to back. No, we’re not having that here. If you’re already booked for spring break, or maybe you’re planning on visiting during Christmas Thanksgiving, these peak popular times don’t freak out. You’ll just want to listen to this episode so you’re prepared as much as possible. Hello and welcome to the Laid Back Magic Way podcast. I’m your host, Dana Stanley, creator of Laid-back magic. As a mom of three, I know how tough it can be to find time to plan a Disney World trip that doesn’t leave you feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

Dana Stanley 00:00:56  That’s why I’m here to help moms like you create Disney vacations that feel even better than they look on paper. here. We’re not chasing perfection, but creating our next favorite memories. So whether you’re brand new to Disney or looking to go deeper into the details, this podcast is your go to for simple tips, mindset shifts, real life trip recaps, and expert insights to make your trip magical and manageable. New episodes drop every Monday, so be sure to subscribe so you never miss a moment. Okay, let’s dive in. Today we’re talking about maximizing your time at Disney World when it’s crowded. And I want to break this down into two parts: the things you can do before booking your trip. If you know that you’re going during peak season, and the things that you should do during your trip, these tips aren’t going to be just about avoiding lines, although we’re going to touch on that a lot too, but some things you might not have thought of, so we’re not wasting time on anything now.

Dana Stanley 00:01:53  This isn’t going to be about okay. It’s crowded, we need a strategy and we need to get ahead of all the other people and we have to go hard. No, I want you to be working smarter, not harder. Okay? And these tips will save you time so that you’re not rushing and, quote, going hard. All right, let’s dive in with the first tip. And that’s under the umbrella of before your trip. Ideally before you’ve booked anything. Maybe you’re a teacher and you already know that you have to visit during a certain break, or your husband has a conference during one of these peak seasons, and you decided to just go down and take the kids with you. If you’re still in that dreaming pre-booking phase, choose a resort that’s going to save you time. How can a resort save you time? It’s going to be the resorts that give you the most walking options. I’m telling you, your own two feet are like gold when it’s crowded. You don’t have to wait or depend on anything.

Dana Stanley 00:02:47  So sticking to resorts that you’re able to walk to, one or better yet, two parks is going to save you so much time because you’re not watching buses or a boat get filled up, so you’re forced to take the second one. It’s just really frustrating. The second tier I would look at are the resorts with multiple transportation options. Just something outside of buses. Something I want to remind you of when you’re thinking about where you want to stay. Is that when you stay on property, you get first dibs on lightning lanes. If lightning lanes are part of your plan, and if you’re traveling during a peak time, they should be. I mean, listen, if you are traveling during a very crowded time, you have to use lightning lanes. It’s going to how you skip the regular line, okay? And not go insane. And when you stay on property, you’re going to have a major advantage. If you stay off property, you can only start grabbing those lightning lanes three days before your park day, which means by the time you log in, you might be shocked that the lightning lanes you were going for are gone.

Dana Stanley 00:03:50  And that’s because on property, people say that again, OP can start grabbing these seven days before and that head start makes a huge difference. And while we’re on the topic of lightning lanes, that brings me to number three of having a solid plan for them. This is where people waste a ton of time and their money because just buying them isn’t enough. You have to know how to use them well and to your advantage. I put together my Lightning Lane toolkit for this reason. It walks you through exactly how to get the most out of it. I priced it as low as I possibly could at $19, because this is not something I can fully break down in a podcast episode. Especially because I need you to see the tutorial where you can see exactly how it’s going to look inside the app, because unfortunately, you can’t do a practice run ahead of time. This is how our family stays out of any long lines without shelling out the cash for those more premium options, at least not yet. The next thing you can do in that pre-planning stage is to be a little ninja.

Dana Stanley 00:04:52  With the order of the park days like what parks you visit, on which days, and how they fall on your trip. So don’t just fly in on a Sunday and go to Magic Kingdom on a Monday. Please just do not do that because you know why everyone else is going to do that again. Work smarter, not harder. You’re going to get to Magic Kingdom, so it doesn’t matter what order if you can dodge the crowds just a little bit. Use a crowd calendar to choose which parks on which days. There’s some debate on if these crowd calendars work, and in my experience, there may be outliers, but for the most part you’ll see trends. Magic Kingdom is going to be busier and have longer waits on Mondays. That’s just a fact. I’ll link in the show notes to the crowd calendar that I really like for a few different reasons, but for now, it’s a great start. Now that you’ve chosen a resort that is on property, you’re going to use your own two legs as much as possible.

Dana Stanley 00:05:51  You’ve been a ninja about your park days. Here are the tips that you can do on your trip for when it’s crowded. So listen, I’m all about the neutrals. I love my dusty earth tones, but when it comes to Disney World and it’s very crowded, I want you to think brighter colors than you normally would for this trip. it’s going to be easier to find your kids, your stroller, your husband when you’re meeting up after a bathroom break and he’s in the gift shop and you’re scanning for him and the kids. So think things that light up glow sticks, string lights that you could put around the stroller. You can still keep things cute. Just think bright like hats on your kids, like a bright yellow hats on your kids brighter swimsuits so you can spot them at the pool. Just think bright. Obviously, as moms were always thinking about keeping our kids safe. I don’t stress too much about this when we’re in Disney World. I don’t put like air tags on my kids. I have a lot of friends that do that, and normally I wouldn’t really think twice about those things.

Dana Stanley 00:06:59  But when it’s really packed with people and you get in those bottlenecks and you have multiple children, I would think more about these things versus other times of year. Second tip is to get up early and use those low crowd times in the morning. I am not one to rush in the morning when we are visiting Disney World, but when it is crowded, I for sure will set an alarm and get my booty out the door because those first two hours of the day is that golden window. The people who get the most done at Disney aren’t the ones who stay the latest. They’re the ones who start the earliest. So be in line for the parks before they open. Take advantage of early entry, which you should be able to have if you’re staying on property and start your day off on the right foot before the crowds start to grow a little bit. To take advantage of those mornings, I want you to eat breakfast in the room, or like at your resort or on the way to the park, because what we don’t have time for during like a crowded park day is a very leisurely breakfast reservation in the parks.

Dana Stanley 00:08:10  If you want to do a sit down breakfast or like a character meal, save it for a day that you’re not going into the parks. Maybe the day that you’re going home and you have an afternoon flight, or like a second Magic Kingdom day, you could do the first Magic Kingdom Day with no breakfast, and then the second one, you could get a leisurely breakfast before a day where you’re prioritizing rides. I would just grab something in the room or grab something quick at your resort to eat on the go. And just a reminder, you can Instacart whatever you want. So you could Instacart bagels or some type of protein powder shakes. There’s options that you could do in the morning just so you can get to the parks as soon as possible. I didn’t have like a separate tip for this, but I’m just going to throw this in because we’re talking about breakfast. I love Starbucks so much. I don’t really love the other option of coffee and Disney, which is Joffrey’s. So there’s Starbucks in every park.

Dana Stanley 00:09:07  And then there’s also Joffrey’s, if you didn’t already know. And this Starbucks line is going to be a lot longer than Joffrey’s probably like double because most people like Starbucks like me, or that’s just what they’re used to. When it’s really crowded, I’ll suck it up and I’ll get in line for Joffrey’s to save a little bit of time. Just pro tip there. When you’re heading into the parks, I want you to be mobile, ordering everything and as early as possible. So food, lunch. Most places have mobile order available anyplace. That’s not like a sit down table service. Most of them you can have mobile order on the app. There is zero reason to stand in a long line and order your food. When you can. Just order it ahead and pick it up and you can pick your time window. So don’t wait until you’re hungry for lunch to mobile order your food, especially when it’s crowded, because the time windows could get pushed back a little bit. So just have a general plan for where you’re going to eat before you and the kids are hungry.

Dana Stanley 00:10:09  A fifth tip and speaking of these mobile checkouts is a lot of the gift shops have mobile checkouts now, so if the line to buy that cute stuffed animal for your kid is super long. Double check and see in the app. If you could just do a mobile checkout, you’ll usually see at the exits of the gift shop it’ll have a sign or some type of encouragement, usually with a cast member because they’ll give you a bag too. They have to check and confirm on your app that you paid. Obviously. I’ll link in the show notes what gift shops have this option. It’s a huge time saver when it’s busy, especially if you’re visiting Disney Springs. Number six is to take a midday break. Always. I always love a midday break, but especially when it’s crowded because between 2 and 4 the crowds are at their worst and the heat is at its highest. And it’s the perfect time to head back to your resort, hit the pool or just relax, take a shower. And even if you don’t leave the parks, I would still do something kind of low key, like a long show that’s indoors, or maybe like a late lunch where you can sit down and just enjoy the air conditioning.

Dana Stanley 00:11:18  Next, I want you to set your priorities and be realistic because when it’s crowded, I think you can get everything done, the same amount done, then a not crowded day, but it’s just going to take you longer and it’s just going to feel like a longer day. It’s just the reality. But if you go in knowing your top three must do’s each day, you’re not going to feel like you’re wasting time. So decide what’s most important for your family. Get those done first and then anything extra is just a bonus. Now, this is the only tip on this part of the list that is going to cost you extra, but it’s worth mentioning because it can save you a lot of time. And that’s to book a magic Kingdom dessert party instead of camping out for a good firework spot. Again, it’s going to be so crowded with people doing the same thing. You can waltz into your designated viewing area about 20 30 minutes before showtime and have a great view. I covered everything you need to know about this in episode two, so if you want details, go give that one a listen.

Dana Stanley 00:12:22  So if you’re heading to Disney World during a peak time. These are all the things that I would do. Half of them would happen before my trip, before I book anything and the other half happen during. And all of them, I promise, are going to make your life easier. And if you want to go deeper into lightning lane strategy and things, don’t forget to grab my toolkit and it’ll walk you through everything you need to know. If you’ve loved this episode, share it with a friend who’s planning a Disney trip, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. See you next time! Thank you so much for joining me on this episode of the Laid Back Magic Way Podcast. If you enjoyed today’s episode and it was helpful for you, it would mean the world to me if you’d write a quick review. Your reviews help more moms like you find the show, and I read every single one of them. Seriously. Thank you in advance. You can find me on Instagram at Somewhere Worthwhile and I’d love to hear from you there.

Dana Stanley 00:13:16  DM me if you have any questions about this episode or what you’d like to see in future ones. Until then, keep planning for your next favorite memory and I’ll see you next time.