Sure, going to Disney World with your family is always a great time... but it's a whole new level of fun when you go with friends! I've been on three girls trips to Disney World and here are my top five must-do's!

1. Stay on property! I have stayed at Pop Century, All-Star Movies, and Coronado Springs with friends and can confidently say that it makes our trips 10x better! Girls trips are typically just a few days or a weekend long, so staying in the 'Disney bubble' makes such a huge difference. We always utilize Disney's complimentary transportation system and truly get to maximize our time. Plus... Disney resorts are just fun (and cheaper when you get to split the cost)!

2. Get there early on day one! Obviously flight schedules can be crazy if you're flying into Orlando instead of driving, but when possible, I highly recommend getting to your resort early on day one (and by 'early' I mean around 2-3pm instead of 11pm). On my first girls trip, our flight got in around 10pm meaning that we barely had time to grab dinner at our resort and were pretty exhausted the next morning. Our last two trips had flights that landed between 12-2pm and it was WONDERFUL! We had so much time to shop, relax, and even watch some fireworks before even getting to the parks.

3. Make dining reservations! Table Service restaurants in Disney can be difficult to get into without a reservation. If you get to your resort early, your first day could be a great opportunity to make a dining reservation at a different Disney resort! In October, my friends and I had a reservation at Steakhouse 71 in Disney's Contemporary Resort. The food was wonderful, we created space for ourselves to sit and catch up, and afterwards we took the monorail over to The Polynesian to watch Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach. Dining reservations make space for you to slow down, and Disney has so many fun options to choose from!

4. Know how to get Virtual Queues! If you're anything like my friends, we LOVE thrill rides. Currently, two of Disney World's most popular (and newest) thrill rides require a Virtual Queue or Individual Lightning Lane reservation to ride. Individual Lightning Lanes cost money, but Virtual Queues are free! If you plan on riding Guardians of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in Epcot or TRON Lightcycle/Run in Magic Kingdom, you'll need to get a Virtual Queue at 7am. On the front page of your My Disney Experience app, there should be a box that says 'Request Access with Virtual Queue.' In that box, click the button that says 'Join Virtual Queue,' find the ride you want, and select 'Join Virtual Queue' again. Make sure that everyone in your party is selected and follow the prompts all the way through. You'll then be given a boarding group that will tell you when it's your turn to ride! If you don't get a Virtual Queue at 7am, don't worry. There will be another chance at 1pm as long as you're in the park!

5. Visit fun bars! Disney World has so many fun bars and lounges to visit that offer both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. Two of my favorites are Oga's Cantina at Hollywood Studios and Trader Sam's Grog Grotto in the Polynesian Village Resort. For Oga's Cantina, it's important that you make a reservation like you would for a Table Service restaurant. You'll have 45 minutes to enjoy tasty drinks, incredible theming, and some fantastic bartenders. Trader Sam's Grog Grotto takes more of a walk-up list instead of a reservation. Once your name is on their list, it's likely that you'll have to wait a few hours before getting a table... but it's well worth it! Tropical drinks, scenery changes, and fun surprises are just a few highlights of this place.

For starters... what is the Disney Dining Plan?

Current Dining Plan prices:

When I think the Disney Dining Plan is worth it:

1. If you love all inclusives. This is the aspect that really made the Disney Dining Plan worth it for my family. We loved not having to think about how much money we were spending on our snacks and meals. Honestly, we agreed that it made the entire vacation more enjoyable for all of us! While not everything is included in the Disney Dining Plan, we found that most things that we wanted were. If you love the idea of paying for most things before even stepping foot on Disney property, this may be for you!


2. If you enjoy Character Dining. There are so many great Character Dining options to take advantage of with the Disney Dining Plan! Some favorites include Garden Grill in Epcot (normally $62/adult & $40/child), 1900 Park Fare in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort (normally $66/adult & $41/child), and Chef Mickey's in Disney's Contemporary Resort (normally $66/adult & $41/child). These restaurants all take one Table Service credit per person and would be a fantastic use of the Disney Dining Plan!


3. If you like fun drinks.  The Disney Dining Plan includes drinks such as milkshakes, slushies, sodas, juices, mocktails, etc. with each meal! I've seen these drinks range anywhere from $3.50-$13 normally, so this could be a great option. For guests 21+, the Disney Dining Plan also gives the option for one alcoholic beverage with each meal. Some of the cocktails offered at these restaurants can range anywhere from $12-$18, meaning that the Disney Dining Plan may actually SAVE you money at the end of the day.

When I think the Disney Dining Plan is NOT worth it:

1. If you're traveling on a budget. There are definitely cheaper ways to eat at Disney than by using the Disney Dining Plan. You could look into the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan for a less-expensive meal plan, or you could do things like splitting meals, setting a personal daily budget, or even buying groceries and bringing your own sandwiches & snacks to the parks.


2. If you're not a fan of table service meals. If you're more of a 'go-go-go' type of person and would rather not spend time at table service restaurants, I would recommend either the Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan or no plan at all. If you choose the Disney Dining Plan but don't utilize all of your credits (especially your Table Service credits), your money will just be going to waste.


3. If you plan on spending multiple days off property. Let's look at an example: The Smith family is spending 8 nights in Orlando. They have chosen to stay at Disney's Polynesian Resort and will be spending 4 days at Disney, 2 days at Universal, and 1 day at Discovery Cove. Since they are staying on Disney property, their Disney Dining Plan would include 8 nights worth of meals and snacks per person. However, since they are spending 3 days in other parts of Orlando, it is highly likely that they would have multiple unused dining credits by the end of their trip.

My thoughts:

Will you try out the Disney Dining Plan on your next trip?