12 Tips For Successfully Navigating Walt Disney World During Spring Break

Maximizing your time while enjoying the four Walt Disney World theme parks is a major key to a successful Spring break trip. One way to do just that is to stay at a Disney hotel. There are dozens of options with various price points and themes, so be sure to do your research to pick the best one for your group. By staying at a Disney resort, you're as close as possible to some of the parks, you get Extra Magic Hours, and you have access to free transportation to and from the parks, so there's no need to get a rental car.

A great option for the price and amenities is Disney's Art of Animation Resort. They offer family suites that sleep up to six adults and have a built-in kitchenette if you want to cook some meals to cut back on costs.

Mastering Spring break at Disney World means taking advantage of the slower times in the parks, and early morning is definitely one of those times! Not only are the wait times going to be significantly less in the two or three hours postopening, the temperatures also aren't going to be as hot.

No matter if the park you've chosen has morning Extra Magic Hours or not, you're going to want to get the parks at least 30 minutes to one hour before the posted opening time. This will give you plenty of time to get through security and up to the touchpoints where you scan your magic band before the park officially opens for the day.

Even if you've made your FastPass+ selections, you can modify them throughout the day via the Disney World app. This is a great way to be able to ride more attractions with minimal wait times. Once you scan your magic band to get into the FastPass line for your first attraction, you can look to see if your next ride has any times that are quicker. You can continue to do this through the third FastPass you've made.

Another FastPass tip is to check for the more popular rides the night before and day of inside the park. Things like Flight of Passage at Disney's Animal Kingdom or Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney's Hollywood Studios will frequently show up because people change their plans at the last minute.

It's inevitable that rain might spoil an afternoon of your trip, or the hot Florida temperatures might have you feeling rundown and exhausted. But that doesn't mean your day is completely ruined! Head back to your resort for a break — have a snack, swim in the pool, or take a nap in the shade. After all, you resort has a ton of fun things to do and experience, so you should take advantage of it!

Taking a break is also vital to recharge for a fun night at the parks. And make sure to swap out anything you might need for the late afternoon and evening into your backpack.

Disney Springs is a hot spot for dining and entertainment, and quite a few restaurants host happy hours throughout the week. A few of the best deals come from City Works Eatery and Pour House, where many drinks are $2 off, and snacks like cheese curds and firecracker rolls are only $7. Another great option is Terralina Crafted Italian, which offers $5 beers and half price wine and pizza from 4-6 p.m. on their outside patio.

Staying late in the parks is a great way to take advantage of some of the bigger rides at each park. Most families with kids are getting ready to head back to their hotels or to watch the fireworks. This is a prime opportunity to get on big attractions like Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom, Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Soarin' Over The World at Epcot, and Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Mobile ordering as much as you can will save a ton of time by not standing in long lines for meals or snacks, and you get your food faster! To mobile order anything, you'll need the My Disney Experience app with a credit card attached to it. Go through the list of participating restaurants, select the one you want to eat at, select what you want from the menu, and check out. When you arrive at the restaurant, tap the button saying you're there, and your food typically takes just a few moments to arrive. This works best at superbusy places like Satu'li Canteen at Animal Kingdom, anywhere that sells Dole Whip, and Ronto Roasters at Hollywood Studios.

There are always tons of new things to do in Walt Disney World. Keeping that in mind will help you plan out your day even more. If you want to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, you should get to Hollywood Studios at least an hour before the park opens to get inside and be able to get a boarding pass through the My Disney Experience app.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that rings even more true at Walt Disney World. Having a traditional sit-down breakfast every day during your trip will take up a lot of time in the mornings (it can also get really expensive!). Grabbing something quick like a muffin or a breakfast sandwich will still fill you up and energize you for the morning ahead without breaking the bank, and most resorts have quicker to-go snack shops with these options.

On days when you want to enjoy your resort or have a non-park day, a table service or character meal are great! A few options you might want to check out are the Grand Floridian Cafe at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Topolino's Terrace at Disney's Riviera Resort, Whispering Canyon at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, Trattoria al Forno at Disney's BoardWalk, and Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Village.

Spending a day at one of the two Disney water parks is a fun way to still enjoy being outside in the beautiful Florida weather without dealing with as many people as the theme parks. Both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon have quite a few raft rides, a lazy river, and acres of sandy beaches to enjoy.

To get the ultimate experience at the water parks, consider renting a cabana for your group. Cabana rentals are around $300, but when split among five or six people, the cost per person comes out to $60 or less. Cabana rentals come with all of your nonalcoholic drinks for the day, a place to sit and relax, a private attendant to get your food, and drinks, towels, and a locker.

The number-one tip for mastering Spring break is to always have an extra t-shirt in your backpack, especially if you're planning to stay in the parks from open to close without taking a break back at your hotel. Sometimes that clean and dry t-shirt is just the refreshing start you need to keep going on the warmer days, or after you've gotten soaked on Splash Mountain.

Even the best laid plans can encounter a few hiccups throughout the day. Sometimes rides go down for an extended period of time, or a restaurant you really wanted to try is unavailable for reservations. Being flexible when these things happen is key to making sure you still have a good time and are able to do a lot during your stay at Walt Disney World. Just know that no matter what you end up doing, you're still going to have an amazing time!