New Year’s resolutions might get a bad rap, but January 1 is as good a time to commit to something new as any. In this post, we’re going to come up with 20 ways to change up your usual Disney World trips in 2020. Of course, if you’ve been visiting for years you might have tried many of these. If you’ve visited once you’ve likely tried a couple. But we tried to make a diverse list to give ideas for every kind of traveler. Read on for 20 Disney travel resolutions for 2020!
Note: This post is under construction but should remain readable, please excuse any dust.
Change Up Your Hotel
1. Take a Budget Trip — Stay at a Value Resort
I grew up visiting Yacht Club every year as part of a family vacation. It was until I was an adult that I had my first stay at a value resort, and it opened my eyes (and arguably started me down the path to building this site).
Unless you’re completely fine affording a deluxe (or maybe moderate) resort every time you want to visit the Mouse, you’d be well served by considering value resorts—you might find a quick lower-cost weekend trip to Disney World is something you like doing regularly.
And it’s a new experience. As we once wrote:
If the Grand Floridian is a wealthy older couple in a horse drawn carriage riding down Fifth Avenue, the value resorts are a family of five hanging off a motorbike zipping through the streets of Bangkok. This isn't Disney life at its most elegant, but it might be Disney life at its best.
We have a ranking of the Disney World value resorts. We also have a guide to all the hotels of Walt Disney World. Here are our reviews of all the value resorts (links open in new tabs):
We’ve also compared the Pop Century and Art of Animation.
2. Book Your First Airbnb Near Disney
We’ve used Airbnb for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris trips, and it has some huge advantages, the biggest two being price and the full kitchen.
Near Disneyland, it’s easy to find Airbnbs that are walkable to the parks. At Walt Disney World, we enjoyed a stay that was an $8 Uber ride from Animal Kingdom.
Read more about Airbnb near Disney World and Airbnb / Off-Site options at Disneyland Paris. Use our referral link to sign up for Airbnb and you’ll get $40 off your first stay of $75 or more. We’ll get up to $30 for referring you (thanks!).
3. Rent Disney Vacation Club Points
Our first DVC rental was in 2018, when we stayed at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa! The most open of open secrets about how to save on deluxe stays at Disney is to rent Disney Vacation Club points or to purchase dedicated Disney Vacation Club reservations.
You don’t need to be a Disney Vacation Club member to use this trick for saving big at deluxe hotels! We recommend David's Vacation Club Rentals for renting Disney Vacation Club points.
4. Take A Budget Trip — Cut Packing and Fly Low-Cost
When we made this a goal of ours, we took a nine-day trip to Europe out of one small JanSport backpack each. You don't have to go that far, but cutting down your packing can help you get big savings by flying low cost airlines (or basic economy), where fares are low but baggage fees are high.
6. Try a Split Stay
Here’s a look at some prices for hotels for a September 2020 stay:
5 nights at All-Star Movies — $829
5 nights at Polynesian Village — $2980
2 nights at Polynesian Village + 3 nights at All-Star Movies — $1192 + $522 = $1714
Okay, by no means is $1714 for five nights cheap, (and it isn’t saving vs. $829) but it’s still a good savings over $2980. A split stay, where you book a few nights at one hotel and a few nights at another, is a good way to throw some variety into your trip without completely breaking your budget.
7. Get Groceries Delivered
This one is still on our bucket list, and we include it here because it’s a way off-beat, creative idea. If you’re looking to save on food, one good strategy is to get groceries delivered to your Disney World hotel. Disney Tourist Blog covers this subject well.
Obviously your mileage will vary. I wouldn’t want to have groceries for six people over a week sitting around a small room and mini-fridge at a value resort. But if you had a smaller party, or only bought for a few days, or had a stay in a vacation club villa, you can make this work.
8. Beat Disney at the Dining Plan Game
We’re not big fans of food or dining out, so we’ll probably never get to do this, but boy does it sounds appealing. We’re generally not fans of the dining plans, in part because of our own biases, but also because it’s really complicated to get maximum value from the Disney Dining Plan.
You hear it all the time—people using two credits for a signature meal (bad value), using all their snack credits on soda (bad value), or just forgetting they had quick service credits to use. Look, you do you, but it’s also silly to pay for something and then get poor value out of it.
That said, if you plan carefully and know where to find the most valuable uses of credits, you can get pretty impressive value out of a dining plan—way more than you pay for it. So if you’re on the dining plan this year, take a few hours to do the research and run the numbers, and make this
9. Plan An International Disney Trip, A Visit to Aulani, or a Disney Cruise
If you’re looking for something new but comfortable, a Disney Cruise is a great way to go. You can take a three-night trip out of Port Canaveral (Florida), and you can even pay to ride a Disney bus from MCO to the port (not Magical Express, but it departs from the same area).
Aulani, Disney’s resort in Hawaii, is a beautiful hotel but will require a longer flight for many people. It is similar to a cruise, though, in that there’s no theme park. Instead, you’ll be focused mostly on relaxing, resort-provided activities, and excursions if you’d like to see some local sites.
Disneyland Paris is the easiest international if you’re new to international travel. It’s a fantastic destination, with our favorite Disney castle. Tokyo Disney Resort is definitely the best of the international resorts, though. If you need help picking, check out our post ranking all the Disney parks around the world.
10. Plan to Run a RunDisney Race
RunDisney is a unique way to combine fitness with Disney magic. These are races unlike any others, as they offer the opportunity to run through Disney parks and take photos with your favorite characters, including some you won't find any other time. You can find our review of the 2019 Disney World Marathon here.
11. Stay Club Level at a Disney Resort
This is on the pricier end of suggestions, and it’s more “bucket list” than “must do,” but you should at least consider a stay club level at a Disney resort.
We’ve reviewed club level at every Disney resort that offers it, and we recommend Kilimanjaro Club at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Chronos Club at Gran Destino Tower, and Atrium Club at Contemporary Resort.
12. Do Your First No Parks Day
This could be filed under saving at Disney as well, but yes, some of us actually plan a day away from the parks just for the fun of it!
There is so much in Disney World outside the parks, from the Boardwalk, to Disney Springs, to Trader Sam's, to Fantasia Gardens. Take a Walt Disney World no parks day to see something different!
13. Use Uber At Walt Disney World
Disney debuted its Uber competitor, “Minnie Vans” for good reason—Uber is great for getting around Walt Disney World. Most rides around property are under $20, and you can easily shave an hour off your transit time. We mainly use it for getting between hard-to-access resorts, but it can always be a good way to shave time when park hopping. (Or, if you must, splurge on a Minnie Van.)
14. Become an Expert on Disney With These Books
Well, “expert” might be a stretch, but you can learn a ton of cool things about Disney by digging into our list of the Best Books for Disney Historians and Fans.
15. Go See Hoop Dee Doo Revue
This is the most specific thing on this list. Hoop Dee Doo Revue is a dinner show at Fort Wilderness with all-you-can-eat-and-drink table service. It’s a special brand of comedy, but it’s a Disney World classic and overall a fantastic experience (and a good value).
Hoop Dee Doo isn’t for everyone, but you’ll never know if you don’t try. Plus it’s a great chance to visit one of Disney’s best resorts.
16. Take A Disney Park Tour
Our review of the Magic Kingdom Keys to the Kingdom Tour was one of our most popular posts this year, and with good reason. Keys to the Kingdom is a great tour and an awesome way to experience a new side of Disney World while learning a bunch of great information along the way. There are tours at every park!
17. Do Something (or Everything) You Haven’t
Let’s be real…you probably really haven’t done every attraction and show at the parks. Whether you’re been ignoring the tea cups (“for kids”), PeopleMover (“sounds boring”), or the Frozen Sing Along (“Can’t hear Let It Go again”), you’ve been putting some things off.
Go do them. We took a ten-day trip a few years ago, at the start of the site, when we did exactly this, and it was one of the best trips we’ve ever taken.
18. Be First In Line
Aiming to be exactly first might be a stretch because it requires some luck. But drop that “I’m not a morning person” act for just one day of your trip and get their super early. Like…15-30 minutes earlier than we recommend in all our rope drop posts. Not only is it fun to be among the first people on a ride that day, but it’s just a fun experience and a great start to your day.
19. Elevate Your Travel Game
Prior versions of this post actually split between Disney and travel tips, but now we’re leaning more heavily Disney (as the site does). But we still wanted to give some quick things you might do in 2020 to elevate your travel, including to Disney destinations…
Get a premium credit card. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, Citi Prestige, and American Express Platinum all have high annual fees but a lot of value if you know where to find it. Among other things, these cards have Priority Pass membership, which includes access to a decent portfolio of airport lounges, including The Club at MCO. (Note: Do NOT get one of these cards just for Priority Pass.)
Earn Your First Signup Bonus. Credit card signup bonuses are a great way to earn huge amounts of points. The current (Nov. 20, 2019) signup bonus for the Chase Sapphire Preferred is 60,000 points for spending $4,000 in 3 months. Those points are worth $600 as a statement credit, but also would be good for $750 in travel booked through Chase.
Sign up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. TSA PreCheck is a great way to get you (and kids under 13) through airport security in the U.S. faster and with less hassle. Global Entry is a program that comes with TSA PreCheck and additionally allows you to get through customs and immigration in an expedited fashion when entering the U.S.
Do you have any Disney resolutions for 2020?
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.