Get your carriage ready! If Walt Disney World® Resort is within driving distance of your home, you can visit the Most Magical Place on Earth, enjoy a full day and head home to your own palace before the clock strikes midnight. Whether you want to explore your favorite Disney park or feel ambitious enough to choose the Park Hopper® option, we’ve collected some tips and tricks to maximize your time—along with some ways to save by using the Disney® Visa® Credit Card for dining and shopping perks.¹²³ Now, get ready for handy tips on how to make the most of a single-day visit to Walt Disney World® Resort.

Note: Some images shown throughout this blog do not represent current operational guidelines or health and safety measures such as face covering and physical distancing requirements.

Purchase your tickets in advance.

Check out the official site and choose which park or parks you’d like to see so you can book your tickets ahead of time online. First, you’ll purchase your park admission; next, you’ll make your park reservation via the Disney Park Pass system.

Plan your route around top attractions.

Every park has maps online and available in person, so you can chart the shortest routes to attractions, dining destinations and much more. As a bonus, check the map to see which attractions have single rider lines, where you may be able to save time by riding as a party of one if you wish. The more you plan your day, the more time you can save along the way for surprises, discoveries and, of course, spontaneous fun!

Use the My Disney Experience App to avoid unexpected delays.

Once you plan your day, the My Disney Experience app is your multi-purpose tool to help you keep your plans on course and go with the flow if anything changes.* You can see attraction wait times, organize your reservations and activities in one place, and get updates of any changes throughout the parks in real time. You can even mobile-order quick service food and snacks in advance, and the app accepts Disney Rewards Dollars loaded to a Disney Rewards Redemption Card.⁴

Find food along your route, and don’t forget restaurant reservations.

Whether you’re early enough for breakfast, staying long enough for dinner or just need a sugar rush (or two), you’ll want to fuel up throughout the day. Be sure to make restaurant reservations for meals along your route, and check out the Guide to Cardmember Dining Perks at Walt Disney World® Resort to see which locations offer 10% off most days when you use your Disney Visa Card.¹²

Take advantage of convenient Cardmember photo opportunities.

If you’re visiting EPCOT® or Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, stop by one of the private Cardmember locations to get your complimentary Magic Shot, digitally enhanced with Characters appearing right next to you. It’s a special, convenient way to get a sweet photo you can download and treasure forever.¹⁵

Save time shopping by getting your souvenirs at shopDisney.com.

If you want to look for gifts (even ones for yourself), you can free up time in your day trip by heading to shopDisney.com and exploring the Walt Disney World® Resort page for Parks-inspired souvenirs, apparel, toys and collectibles. Cardmembers can save 10% on select purchases, too!⁶

A quick vacation at Walt Disney World® Resort can really be the best day ever! Use these ideas as thought starters on how to make the most of your time, and don’t forget to make the most of your Disney Visa Card to save on shopping and dining as well. Enjoy!