10 Walt Disney World Travel Tips I Learned Planning and Visiting

I just got back from Walt Disney World in Orlando – often called the “flagship” of all the Disney parks! In this post I’m sharing only the genuinely useful tips I learned, from trip planning all the way to the parks themselves. (You can find my detailed park reviews in the Disney World reviews section of my blog!)

There are no direct flights from Korea to Orlando, so with a connection it takes about 17–18 hours. That means far fewer Koreans visit than, say, Tokyo Disneyland, and there isn’t much information or tips out there. So here are the tips I picked up while preparing for and taking my Walt Disney World trip!

✅ 1. Have groceries delivered to your resort in advance

Orlando stays warm even in winter, around 23°C (about 73°F), so carrying a bottle of water with you is a must. You can buy water in the parks, but a 500 ml bottle costs $4.25… really expensive. That’s why I recommend having it delivered to your resort ahead of time!

Disney resort hotels have Bell Services, who can receive deliveries and even keep them refrigerated. Many people also order breakfast items like milk, drinks, cereal, bread and energy bars at the same time. Here are three delivery services you can use:

• Garden Grocer – free delivery on orders over $200
• Vacation Grocery Delivery – the one I chose! 40 × 500 ml bottles for $14
• Dizzy Dolphin

I only bought water, so I ordered from Vacation Grocery Delivery. Their store-brand 500 ml water was $14 for 40 bottles (delivery fee and tip extra).

If you choose a delivery date in advance and order to your resort, you’ll get a text message once it’s been delivered.

I ordered based on “two bottles a day,” but since we also used it to cook instant ramen… we ran out. 😂 Order plenty!

✅ 2. A tip for the bag check before entering the park

There’s a bag check at the park entrance, and food and drinks are allowed. But if something metal sets off the security scanner, you have to go through a separate check, which eats up quite a bit of time.

I got stopped every single time, and the reason was my umbrella! A security officer told me to “hold the umbrella in your hand and stretch your arm straight out in front of you as you walk through,” and after that I never got stopped again.

➡️ If you have anything made of metal or heavy, hold it in your hand and stretch it straight out in front of you as you pass through the scanner!

✅ 3. Get your Disney merch from AliExpress in advance

Disney ears are a must-have… but they’re really expensive if you buy them in the park. So I strongly recommend buying them in advance from AliExpress! (Protect that travel budget!!) They’re not official merchandise, but they’re much cheaper and come in a huge variety. I saw lots of people in the parks wearing AliExpress ears and carrying AliExpress bags.

✅ 4. How to get a discount on Disney resort hotels

Disney resort hotels often have Special Offers, and the discounts for stays during certain periods can be quite large. Since resort bookings can be cancelled for free up to 80 days before check-in, you can do what I did: book first, and when a discount offer comes out, re-book at the discounted rate!

✅ 5. Track flight prices with Google Flights alerts

I paid ₩1,800,000 for a one-way ticket to Orlando a year in advance, but I’d set up a Google Flights price alert. One day I got an alert that the price had dropped to ₩1,400,000, so I immediately cancelled for a refund and re-booked – saving ₩400,000!

Flight prices change often, so be sure to set up an alert.

✅ 6. Bring an autograph book

Disney World has a huge range of characters, and each one has their own distinctive signature. Getting autographs in an autograph book at character meets makes the best souvenir. If you’re traveling with kids, definitely bring one!

✅ 7. Take your leftovers to go

Portions in the US are huge, so you’ll almost always have leftovers.

• At table-service restaurants → ask your server “To-go box, please” and they’ll give you a box and a bag.
• At quick-service restaurants → bringing a zip-top bag comes in handy.

You can eat the leftovers when you get peckish walking around the park, or have them as a simple breakfast at your resort the next day.

✅ 8. Check restaurant menus on Google Maps

When choosing a Disney restaurant, make use of Google Maps. Just search for it and you can see interior photos, seating layout, photos of popular dishes and real visitor reviews all at once. Before you go, you can check things like:

• whether there’s plenty of seating
• whether there are enough air-conditioned indoor seats
• what the queue setup looks like

This makes choosing a restaurant much easier. Menu descriptions alone often don’t give you a feel for the food, so real food photos and reviews on Google Maps help a lot with ordering too. There’s so much to choose from on a Disney trip that I strongly recommend shortlisting restaurants that suit your style on Google Maps in advance!

✅ 9. Ask for a different ticket card design

If you stay at a Disney resort hotel, you’ll get a hotel ticket card with the standard design at check-in.

The standard Mickey design card

But if you’d like a different character design, don’t worry! When you enter the park, just ask a Cast Member, “Could I get a ticket with a different design?” You’ll randomly receive a ticket featuring one of many Disney or Pixar character designs.

My new ticket!

It’s a small thing, but it adds to the fun of the trip!

✅ 10. More tips on my blog!

(Shameless plug!) I’ve written detailed park reviews, thrill ratings and attraction descriptions for each park, plus the real-world tips I collected on my own trip. I hope they’re a big help to anyone planning their trip! That’s it for my Disney World tips.

I hope my blog helps make your trip just a little more magical 💫 If you have any questions or want to know more, feel free to reach out through the contact page! Thanks for reading ❤