We just got back from our Walt Disney World Spring Break Trip a few weeks ago! It was definitely crowded but we had a blast. I did a lot of research since we had not gone to the parks in several years. I thought I would share a few tips for a having a Magical Disney Spring Break to possibly help others thinking of going next year.
Is spring break the ideal time to visit Disney? Probably not. This is the only time we could think about going though between school and work schedules. We didn’t want to deal with the summer heat and we usually visit family during the winter break. I’m sure others can relate!
Download the App
Once you have your trip booked, go ahead and get the My Disney Experience App. You can link your park tickets and any hotel reservations there if you are staying on property. If you already have this set up, you will be ready for some of the other tips listed below!
Get Genie Plus
If you are going to the Disney Parks when they will be very busy, you should definitely get Genie Plus. This is the Disney Service that gets you into the Lightning Lane entrances at a lot of the attractions and experiences.
This is not something you need to purchase in advance. It will become available to you after midnight on the day you are visiting the park.
You are able to make your first Genie Plus selection at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit. If you want to purchase this service late at night after midnight, that is an option. I prefer to get it around 6:45 before I can make my first selection unless we are already up.
Once you make that first selection, you can make another two hours after the park opens OR after you scan into your first lightning lane selection.
Another great perk to Genie Plus is that you get all the ride photos downloaded to your photo gallery in the My Disney Experience App. These photos are included with that service.
Do Your Research
If you decide to get Genie+, definitely do your research on how to use it ahead of time. You will make the most of your purchase if you know how to use this tool. I watched several YouTube videos on this process and it was a tremendous help! Disney states that you can get 2 to 3 lightning lanes per day but we were able to get a lot more than that by being prepared.
My favorite videos for this are on the Ear Scouts Channel. I also learned a lot from Mammoth Club. I watched a video for using this for each park several weeks before we went to Disney. Then a few days before I watched again and made sure I understood where to find everything they discussed on the app.
Make Dining Reservations
Dining Reservations open up 60 days in advance of your arrival day. Find the full details here. Even if you aren’t sure about plans, go ahead and book a few reservations you might be interested in. It can be very nice to have an afternoon reservation at a dine-in restaurant if it happens to be a very hot and crowded day. These reservations can be canceled within two hours so you just need to be aware of that.
Our day at Hollywood Studios was very stormy and rainy. I was so glad I had made a reservation at Oga’s Cantina that afternoon so we had somewhere to hang out and stay dry for a bit.
Disney Items to Get Ahead of Time
There are obviously a large number of items to pack for your trip to Disney. I will just share a few things we got ahead of time that were nice to have.
Fuel Rods
I purchased a two pack of fuel rods (portable phone charger) before we went on our trip. These are a life saver if you are the one in charge of scheduling Genie Plus. What is so nice about these is that you can exchange them for free throughout the park.
Disney Shirts and Ears
Go ahead and get your Disney attire before you go! There are so many cute shirts and Mickey ears on Amazon. I purchased a sweatshirt, tanks, and t-shirts. I even got my entire family shirts for Hollywood Studios.
Snacks and Bottled Water
It is so awesome that you can bring your own snacks and food inside the Disney parks. This can save you a lot of money which is super magical! We also brought bottled water because you want to stay hydrated. There are water refill stations but some of them do not taste great at all. If you can refill your water inside a quick service restaurant from the soda machine, it tastes much better!
We also packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, fruit and chips so we didn’t have to worry about finding food if someone started to get hungry. This was so helpful! We did purchase things too like Dole Whips, Churros, and Pretzels.
Vacation Guide
We purchased a vacation guide a few weeks before the trip. It was nice to have the maps especially for the kids. We were also able to read about rides and restaurants.
Relax and Enjoy the Magic!
No matter how much research you do things do not always go as planned! Just remind yourself to go with the flow and focus on enjoying the time there. I hope these tips help someone else have a Magical Spring Break Trip to Disney!