Travelling to Disney? These are all our Family Suitcase TOP TRICKS TO REMEMBER.

We hope that with a little planning and information from the resources below, the doors will open new travel opportunities for you and your family to Disney.

Walt Disney World Resort offers a host of services to help Guests with cognitive disabilities—including those on the Autism Spectrum—maximize their Resort experience.

1. Sign up for the DAS Pass. The Disability Access Service (DAS) is intended for Guests who have difficulty tolerating extended waits in a conventional queue environment due to disability. This service doesn’t provide immediate access to experiences but instead allows Guests to request a return time for a specific experience that is comparable to the current standby wait. This allows the Guest using DAS to experience other attractions in the park instead of physically waiting in the standby line. You need to do an online interview before heading to Disney, so I recommend you book early; our interview wait time was 6 hours. It took all day to take to someone, but it was worth it!

2. Click on the link and book your reservation directly on your My Disney Experience App

3. WATCH FIREWORKS AT MAGIC KINGDOM WITH NO CROWD. If you head towards Fantasyland, plop yourself down in front of the Dumbo Ride and enjoy a private viewing of the fireworks show.

4. Popcorn MUST, snag the refillable popcorn bucket on the first day!  A souvenir popcorn bucket costs $10-$17, but once you have it refills are only $1.50, so you can enjoy a tasty snack for under $2

5. AVOID EXTRA MAGIC HOUR PARKS…Check what park is extra hours, and do the opposite parks. This will help you navigate smaller crowds.

6. GET THE MEMORY MAKER – PHOTO PASS PLAN -  the Memory Maker is an AMAZING tool!!! It tracks the photos you take on the rides while meeting characters and any photo you take with a Disney Photo Pass Photographer. The photos come directly to your My Disney Experience app or can be viewed online instantly. From there, you can download the photos to keep with just one click! There is an additional fee, but I would say it's worth the cost with all the unique photo memories we brought back. I won’t even bring my big camera next time we go.

7. BRING A PORTABLE BATTERY CHARGER  - THIS IS A MUST!

8. ORDER YOUR PERSONALIZED MAGIC BANDS AND BOOK DISNEY’S MAGICAL EXPRESS ASAP (DISNEY RESORT GUESTS ONLY)- Your magic bands and luggage tags need ample time to arrive before you leave. Your magic band will be your most prized possession. It is your room key, park ticket, payment method, photo pass, memory maker tag & more! Magical Express luggage tags mean you won’t even have to go to baggage claim when you arrive- SCORE!

9. MAKE ALL OF YOUR DINING RESERVATIONS 6 MONTHS IN ADVANCE. Nothing is worse than starving in Disney World with no reservation plans (trust me, I know). You end up eating food you didn’t want to after waiting in a long line or trying to stop by five already booked places. You can make reservations on the My Disney Experience App, online here or by calling (407) WDW-DINE.

10. BUY THE REFILLABLE DRINK MUG THE FIRST DAY YOU ARRIVE-Great for morning coffee, sodas, tea, and hot cocoa at night! Plus, a fun souvenir to take home. 

11. PARADE TIP-Watch the parade at the second viewing time when possible. It is less crowded bc everyone goes to the first one.

12. SIGN UP FOR A CHARACTER WAKE-UP CALL (IT’S FREE!) You receive a phone call in the morning from a Disney character, and the kids will love it!

TIPS FOR ANIMAL KINGDOM

• Go on the Morning Safari – Instead of right at the rope drop heading to Pandora, where everyone else is going, walk right on to the safari. You can usually walk right on and there are so many more animals than normal. Because they are just being fed so many are out.

• Visit Pandora at night! Pandora opened in May of 2017 and has been quite popular ever since. The Flight of Passage ride is my absolute favourite ride in all the Disney Parks. The only problem, the long lines.  The lines are shorter, the weather is less hot, and the entire place glows. 

• Get Some Glow Paint before you go! –  We purchased some glow paint and got our kids all done up before heading to Animal Kingdom. It’s an absolute blast. Grab the paint here!

• Shows - River of Lights show AMAZING

• The Lion King Show is fantastic- very entertaining and is in a giant air-conditioned theatre.

TIPS FOR HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Hollywood Studios went in the morning, break in the afternoon and back in the evening for the parade and Fireworks)

• Mama Rose’s Fantasmic package is included on the dining plan, and your meal includes a Lightning Lane pass for Fantasmic! 

• 50’s Prime Time Cafe is a hoot, especially with tweens as they get bossed around by the funny wait staff. Think “elbows off the table” and “eat your veggies” type stuff.

• Galaxy Edge is a must-see, so these Disney World tips are extra crucial if you are a Star Wars fan. 

• Make Reservations Early! You can make reservations 180 days before for Oga’s Cantina and Building a Lightsaber. 

• Be ready to be completely immersed in the land. Every cast member plays a role and rarely breaks character, so you truly feel part of Star Wars. It is a unique experience

• Interact with the stormtroopers; they are hilarious and improve the experience.

• Visit and interact with a full-size R2-D2 inside the droid depot.

• Request to be the Pilot for Millenium Falcon Ride, it is so much better than any of the other positions on the rides, but be prepared to fly the Falcon

You can email Disney if you have any questions as well at disability.services@disneyparks.com.

From our Suitcase to yours, Happy Travels!