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5. Hacks for last minute Disney resort stays

Dolphin Hotel at night

Image: CL Photographs, Flickr (license)

If you want to enjoy Disney’s amazing nightlife—particularly Pandora or Expedition Everest in all their starlit glory—you will probably need some sort of accommodations if you aren’t local to Orlando. While the easiest choice to do this is to book a non-Disney hotel in Orlando, if you avoid peak season and holidays, there are several tricks you can employ to give you a chance of staying Disney property for last minute visits.

Florida residents, annual passholders, and DVC members should always make a point to call Disney reservations directly to see if there are any special deals that aren’t posted online. Lately, Disney has done well putting these promotions on their site, but it certainly can’t hurt to double check. DVC members will also have better luck capitalizing on last minute cancellations calling DVC directly rather than wasting time with repeated searches on their cumbersome site.

If you are looking to stay at the Swan or Dolphin, Sheraton’s website and travel sites like Hotels.com sometimes have special rates lower than those that Disney posts. Just be aware that these two hotels charge you a resort fee of about $28 and a parking fee between $10-$30 a day.

Nemo Manta Ray at Art of Animation Resort

Image: Disney

Last minute trips are a great opportunity to try new resorts. You may be the sort who prefers to splurge on Disney’s deluxe resorts for a week-long family vacation. Try a downgrade to the Swan or Dolphin, or even one of Disney’s moderate resorts like Port Orleans French Quarter. If you just need a place to crash close to the parks, don’t discount Disney’s All Stars, Pop Century, and Art of Animation resorts. It is easy to write off Disney’s Value Resorts, but they are all good resorts with clean beds, Disney atmosphere, and all of the other regular perks like Extra Magic Hours and free transportation. Kids might actually prefer these resorts thanks to the insane amount of theming and their amazing pools.

Are you a true minimalist? Don’t mind fighting off a few mosquitos and banana spiders? Plan to camp a night at Fort Wilderness. Guests regularly gush about what an excellent campground it is. They even rent tents if you need one!

6. Have a goal in mind

LeFou's Brew

Image: Disney

While having a quick, no-pressure jaunt down to Walt Disney World can be a blast, you are likely to get more out of your day if you have a specific goal in mind. Are you trying to catch Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival? Plan to spend most-if-not-all of your day there and pick up a festival gift card to keep your party in budget. Want to finally get onto the elusive Avatar Flight of Passage or Navi River Journey? Plan to either arrive at opening gate at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or have some in-line time-passers to power through the day. Maybe there is a specific ride you want to hit, a restaurant you are hoping to have lunch at, or even a crazy challenge you want to fulfill.

The great thing about last minute Disney days is that there is far less pressure to squeeze everything in, particularly if you are a Passholder. Leave flexibility, but know what you want to accomplish and don’t get distracted from that goal. Rather than trying to do everything possible in one day, savor the things you love most while visiting Walt Disney World by keeping to a basic plan.

What are your favorite hacks for last minute Disney days?

 
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Comments

Do you know what "hacks" are? Not expecting NY Times quality here, but the quality of content here has really suffered lately.

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