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About This Site

If you’re planning a trip to Disney World and want to know all of the tips and tricks to making it a great trip, you’re in the right place. If you want to go to Disney World and have no idea where to start, you’re also in the right place.

Here’s the thing:

  • most people don’t plan ahead of time and they end up missing out and wasting a lot of time during their trip
  • all of the magical things you may have dreamt about (like eating breakfast in the castle) aren’t possible unless you plan

That’s why this site was created: to share the tips for planning the trip you’ve dreamt about.

I’ll break it down into steps to make it more manageable.

Sound good? Be sure to sign up below to get free updates.

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WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAY

MEDIA MENTIONS

16 Parents On The Hacks That Help Them Survive Disney Parks – Huffington Post

How to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney with kids – Today Parents

22 Disney World Tips and Secrets Every Visitor Should Know, According to Experts – Good Housekeeping

Theme Park News: On Disney World’s Birthday, Old Favorites Leave and New Favorites Arrive – SYFY

The Best Disney World Vacation Hacks – Wall Street Journal

Everything You Need to Know Before Booking a Disney Vacation – Travel and Leisure

A New ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Bar Is Coming To Disney World This Fall – Bustle

Which Days Can You Eat At Disney World For Free In 2018? The “Free Dining Dates” May Be Worth Scheduling A Trip Around – Bustle

Reasons Why People Love Staying at Disney Resorts – CheatSheet

How To Plan For The Two Most Crucial Days On Any Disney Vacation – Travel and Leisure

Don’t Get the Disney Credit Card. This Other Disney Card Is Better. – Wirecutter (A New York Times Company)

Disney villains have their night at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween – Fox News

Meet Shannon Albert of Prep School Productions – Voyage Dallas

Members of the media:

Feel free to message me through my contact page

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READERS

People thought I was obsessive & crazy for listening to all of your info, but we got to the parks and it was astounding how precise your information was when laid out on my spreadsheet/itinerary (no one thought I was crazy any longer). We had the time of our lives! In 4 days, we went to all 4 parks (3 we went to twice), went on all of the rides we wanted, saw all the shows we wanted, had some hours by the pool and got plenty of sleep. I can’t thank you enough. I am a trained military logistician and all of your research and information was so incredibly impressive. Again … thank you.
– Susan W., Providence, RI
I was back and forth on using a travel agent and decided with the help of your blog, to go it alone. I was so nervous about how it would turn out being my very first trip, but it exceeded my expectations. Thanks for all you do with your blog. It really helped me plan a magical trip for my family! I’m already working on the next one!
– Afton Rio
We just got back from a fantastic, magical Disney vacation, and I wanted to thank you for all of your help. Your website and ebook were such valuable resources. We did everything we wanted to and much much more.
– Joyleen H.
I just got back from a five night stay at Coronado Springs and had the best time! Even though I went during the busy season I barely waited in any lines and was able to do everything I wanted!
– Jonathan C.
Just imagine a first-timer on a budget trying to plan a 9th birthday trip to WDW. With all your wisdom and advice, the trip is: paid for, a complete surprise for the kiddo, includes MNSSHP, includes all the ADRs we wanted, and even includes the hard to get FP+’s.
– Julie B.
We are on the way for our family’s first WDW trip and I feel very prepared instead of overwhelmed.
– Ingrid V.
Whenever I travel somewhere, I do a ton of research so I don’t have unhappy surprises when I get to my destination. Your site was an integral part of my hugely successful first trip to WDW last year.
– Susan B.

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ABOUT SHANNON ALBERT

Hi, I’m Shannon Albert.

I created WDW Prep School in 2012 after planning several trips for myself and others, so that other people could learn the tips and tricks to plan their own trips.

Somebody once said that I take my fun job very seriously, which is 100% true. My approach is give you plenty of information so that you can put together good plans, and then encourage you to combine plans with flexibility to make the most of your vacation time.

What started as a website soon grew to also include the WDW Prep To Go podcast, a membership section of the site, active social media accounts, and a YouTube channel.

And then in 2017, I launched my own travel agency called Perfect Story Travel so I could have my own team available to those people who want assistance. Request a quote from them now.

Be sure to stay on top of the latest planning info by signing up below to receive updates.

Ready to book a trip for 2019 or 2020?

The handpicked team of agents at Perfect Story Travel can help you out. Fill out the info to get started!

FAQS

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO TO DISNEY WORLD?

What used to be an every-other-year trip schedule became 2-3 times a year, and now I go to Disney World every 4-6 weeks. Things change so quickly and frequent trips are so handy to stay on top of the latest and greatest information.

DOES DISNEY PAY FOR YOUR TRAVEL?

No, they don’t. I pay for my own trips. On the rare occasion that something is paid for (such as the occasional meal in Disney Springs), I will always disclose that.

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I just got back from a five night stay at Coronado Springs and had the best time! Even though I went during the busy season I barely waited in any lines and was able to do everything I wanted!

Jonathan C.

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WDW PREP SCHOOL ON INSTAGRAM​

Instagram post 2195165576133294818_547098091 How to tour Hollywood Studios with an 8 a.m. scheduled opening:
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1.) Arrive by 6 a.m. if you want the shortest standby waits and Rise of the Resistance boarding group with a low number.Buses and Minnie Vans are NOT operating early enough to get you there by 6 a.m., so you would need to have your own car, Lyft, or walk to get there by 6.Have little ones? Uber Car Seat is an option as well.Arriving a bit later will likely still be ok, but increase your wait times and boarding group number slightly.2.) The park is likely to open way before the scheduled 8 a.m. time. The opening time was 6:26 a.m. for us this morning.Once open, you’ll scan your MagicBand/park ticket to enter, and then immediately open the app to snag a boarding group.Scroll through the pics for info on how to get a boarding group.3.) After getting a boarding group, it’s time to start riding rides. This order should allow you the shortest standby times:First hour: Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers, Toy Story ManiaSecond hour: Rock n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror (could also do Star Tours if you like)Third hour: Smugglers Run and hope that your Rise of the Resistance boarding group has been called so you can head there next (higher boarding group number? you can leave the park and come back when you’re called if you’d like).
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Of course, if you have a FastPass for a ride, you may want to skip that attraction (or ride it in the standby line and again later with FastPass).
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Keep in mind that characters and most dining won’t begin until park opening, so you’ll want to hit those after 8 a.m.Hopefully that helps those of you traveling over the next few weeks. What questions do you have? 📲Click the ribbon to save this post for future reference.#riseoftheresistance #hollywoodstudios
Instagram post 2193115991424601780_547098091 Here’s a recap of what we’ve learned about Hollywood Studios w/Rise of the Resistance so far:1.) 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. This week it’s 6 a.m. (like today), and next week is likely to be 7:30.After that, we don’t know, but Flight of Passage has been available early for 2+ years, so it might continue for awhile (or not).
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🚌 Transportation: buses will be running that early, but Skyliner won’t. It didn’t start until 8:00 today.2.) 𝙎𝙣𝙖𝙜 𝙖 𝙍𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙥 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠. ALL members of your party must be in the park to get a boarding group.All groups were full by 8 a.m. today (an hour before official park opening!). Get there early to ride.According to sources, this virtual queue system will be in place for at least the next several weeks before Disney moves to using the FastPass system.3.) 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 (we were told “morning”), but there is no guarantee, especially as the ride goes down often.Our group ended up being called at 12:52.Once called, you have 2 hrs to return. No need to stay in the park. You can leave, get the notification, then return to Studios.4.) 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 which allowed us to go on all Toy Story Land rides, Rock n Roller Coaster, & Tower of Terror in 90 minutes w/no waits. No characters available during this time.5.) 𝙍𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝 & 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝘼𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 at Rise, but everybody must have a boarding group.Since everybody will be in a boarding group, we aren’t sure we see the value of Rider Switch for most, but it won’t hurt to snag it JUST in case.However, if the 1st members of your party enter toward the end of your boarding window, you will definitely want to snag a Rider Switch pass for the 2nd group to use.DAS varies in how it’s handled. Participants should inquire at the ride.
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WHEW. That’s a lot to take in.What questions do you have? #waltdisneyworld
Instagram post 2192428562363229697_547098091 Moved over to the Boardwalk Inn today where it’s looking as gorgeous as ever with Christmas decor everywhere you look. 😍
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(You know how Epcot looks its best during Flower and Garden Festival and it’s a tough transition to see the park without all the extras? So many resorts are like that with Christmas decor.)
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Lots more on my stories as we explore the hotel and Boardwalk area.
Instagram post 2191647241818984579_547098091 Hello from Galaxy’s Edge where we’ve been able to ride Rise of the Resistance multiple times (and we know what a privilege that is!).
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It is indeed an incredible new attraction and will be the star of Galaxy’s Edge. Answering questions about it in my Stories so feel free to follow along and ask us anything you want to know.
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