Adventures of a Disney Dad: A Walt Disney World Trip Planning Podcast

We just hit 100 episodes! To celebrate, we're sharing our favorite things at Walt Disney World!

We start by ranking all four parks, and Chip and I don't agree. Then we share our top three hotels, plus the budget resorts we'd pick in each category. From there we get into the best ride queues, the resort smells we can't forget, our go-to Disney Springs stops, and the quick service meals we'd eat today if we could. We keep it honest, because a favorite isn't always the right pick for every family. My favorite resort is Riviera, but it's not where I usually stay with my kids, and I explain why. You'll also hear which queue we'd skip every time and the resort scents we can't stop thinking about.

We wrap up with a Santa dinner at The Cake Bake Shop that costs a family of four over $900, plus our favorite character meals and the surprise character meets we love most.

Chapters

01:15  Looking back at 100 episodes and our guests

02:07  How a paralyzed vocal cord almost stopped the show

04:35  Why these are our favorites, not your rankings

05:03  Ranking the four Walt Disney World parks

06:54  The Animal Kingdom coffee that almost made me miss my flight

09:01  Chip's top three favorite hotels

11:25  My top three favorite hotels

14:50  Our favorite hotels on a budget

16:50  How I pick budget resorts for clients

19:00  Top three ride queues and the worst queue at Disney World

22:36  Tower of Terror, Haunted Mansion, and Pirates queues

24:11  Honorable mentions: Tiana's and Tron

25:12  Our favorite Walt Disney World smells

29:33  Top three Disney Springs stops

34:51  Top three quick service meals

37:15  The most overrated snacks and meals

41:10  Hyped up things that are worth it

44:39  The $900 Santa dinner at The Cake Bake Shop

45:33  Favorite character meets and meals

49:20  Thank you for 100 episodes

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

Chip and I opened up the listener inbox for Episode 99 and answered 7 of your Walt Disney World planning questions. We cover long trips, overhyped dining, strollers, and more. Plus, we share news about our Episode 100 listener giveaway.

In this episode, we cover:

01:51  How do you plan a longer Disney vacation?

03:54  Why the resort matters more on an 8 to 14 day trip

04:48  Should you still buy Lightning Lane on a long trip?

06:08  Relaxed park days and cheaper daily tickets

07:24  Rope drop, the time change, and the word "need"

08:10  Split stays and fun outside of Disney

09:27  What Disney World dining is overhyped right now?

11:31  Why I'm tired of The Cake Bake Shop

12:14  Summer House on the Lake cookies vs. Gideon's

12:56  Will churro waffles and spring rolls slip?

13:43  Is Tusker House rushing families?

14:39  Regal Eagle and the turkey leg baguette hack

15:49  What we'd never buy again at Disney

16:56  Why Park Hopper is the first thing I cut

18:01  My take on travel protection

20:16  Planning Disney and Universal in one trip

22:24  When do you retire the stroller?

24:46  Is it okay to split up in the parks?

28:11  Surprise the kids or tell them early?

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

Most Disney planning advice is a list of things you should do. This week Chip and I flipped it. We sat down and talked through the things we will not do at Walt Disney World anymore, no matter what. If you are planning your first trip and you keep hearing that everything at Disney is worth it, this one is going to save you money, time, and a whole lot of frustration.

Chapters

00:00  The Things We Will Not Do at Walt Disney World

00:36  Chip's Rule: No National Chains at Disney Springs

01:15  T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe Are a Hard No

05:11  Why We Will Not Stay Off Property for a Park Trip

07:01  How an Airbnb Wrecks Your Booking Windows

07:52  The Hidden Costs That Erase Your Savings

09:04  The One Time Chip Stays Off Property

10:44  No Lightning Lanes, No Trip

11:10  The 45 Minute Wait Rule and Where It Came From

12:27  What Lightning Lane Costs a Family of Four

13:15  What We Cut From the Budget Instead

14:13  Chip Is Done Driving to the TTC

15:26  We Will Not Ignore the Resort

17:09  Pools, Table Service, and What Value Resorts Lack

18:38  Matching Families to the Right Disney Resort

21:11  Never Leave Your Kids Out of the Planning

23:36  We Will Never Skip the Midday Break

24:49  Two Table Service Meals in One Day

26:03  The One Exception: A Full Princess Day

27:16  We Will Not Rope Drop Every Single Day

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

It is D23 week, and if you follow Disney at all, you already know the entire fan world is holding its breath waiting on the parks panel. Chip and I sat down the night before to put our predictions on the record, park by park, no hedging. If you are listening to this after the announcements dropped, go ahead and fact check us. Tell us where we nailed it and where we were completely nuts.

We start with the big picture. My expectation is that D23 is mostly going to be a weekend of updates rather than shocking new reveals. Expect names, details, and maybe some rough timeframes for Tropical Americas, Villains Land, Piston Peak, and Monsters Inc land, but not a lot that we did not already know was coming. Chip goes a different direction. His biggest prediction is hotels, including a new moderate and a DVC resort, and he calls his shot on exactly where that DVC resort is going near Epcot. We also get into Lakeshore Lodge, the complaints that it looks like a Marriott, and why adding rooms that are not DVC would actually help bring costs down for every family.

Two things I really got into. First, the Space Mountain rumors have been red hot for about a month now. Second, I go on a bit of a rant about the calls for a second Halloween party at Walt Disney World.

We close it out with Disney Cruise Line, and there is a lot going on!

Chapters

01:53  What D23 Is and Why the Parks Panel Matters

04:43  Chip’s Big Prediction: New Hotel Announcements

05:02  Illuminations, the Epcot Nighttime Show Problem, and a Drone Show

07:04  Where Chip Thinks a New DVC Resort Is Going

07:45  Lakeshore Lodge, Island Tower, and Why More Rooms Would Help Families

09:16  The Tower of Terror Hotel Pipe Dream

11:11  A Rapunzel Ride in Germany and the Figment Refurb Question

12:20  Updates, Not Surprises: Tropical Americas, Villains Land, and Piston Peak

13:13  The Space Mountain Overhaul and the PeopleMover Problem

14:33  A Full Tomorrowland Refresh and Disney’s Recent Show Flops

16:25  Villains Land Details, Opening Windows, and the Fantasyland Rumor

18:23  Hollywood Studios and the Skyliner Expansion Debate

19:59  Does Walt Disney World Need a Second Halloween Party?

22:29  Why the Free Candy Criticism Misses the Point

23:20  Animal Kingdom, Bluey, and the Avatar Problem

25:26  Disneyland: Zootopia, Marvel Land, and the IP Debate

29:35  Disney Cruise Line: Ship Shuffling and a Galveston Port

31:15  The Treasure Discount That Saved My Client $6,000

32:34  Breaking News: A Wreck It Ralph Attraction in Tokyo

33:28  Disney Springs, Level 99, and Splitsville

35:19  Final Predictions and Closing

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

Your Walt Disney World questions have been piling up in my inbox, so this week I’m sitting down solo and working through the ones I get asked the most.

I start with MagicBands and give you my honest take on whether you need one, including the free hotel key card option that does almost everything a MagicBand does. From there I get into how to choose which park you visit on which day, and why your dining reservations end up making that decision for you long before the day of the week ever matters.

I break down all three Lightning Lane tiers side by side so you can tell Multipass, Single Pass, and Premier Pass apart. Then I answer the Memory Maker question I get from almost every first time visitor, and I close with the part nobody plans for, which is how to budget for a Disney World vacation where I give you the exact dollar figures I hand my own clients for strollers, airport transportation, Lightning Lane, and dining. Those four line items are where most Disney budgets quietly fall apart, and I tell you what to set aside for each one.

01:50  Do You Actually Need a MagicBand?

03:23  When MagicBands Are Worth the Money

03:45  How to Choose Which Disney World Park on Which Day

07:14  Lightning Lane Multipass Explained

12:35  What is Memory Maker and Is It Worth It?

13:57  How to Skip Memory Maker at Disney World and Still Get Photos

15:26  How to Budget for Walt Disney World

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

Most families walk into a Disney trip thinking it is all parks, all day. Then they get there and realize the resort pool is where a big piece of the magic actually happens. This week Chip is back with me, and we are ranking our top 9 Walt Disney World resort pools.

We each ranked our own top ten, swapped lists, and found out we agreed on almost everything. After one friendly disagreement, we trimmed it down to a top nine (sorry, Old Key West). From there we count all the way up, from the Big Blue Pool at Art of Animation to the pool that lands at number one. Along the way we talk slides, zero entry, theming, crowds, and price, because the best pool for your family is not always the fanciest one. We also get into which pools work best for little kids, where the crowds hit hardest, and when a value resort pool can quietly beat a deluxe one.

I explain why Animal Kingdom Lodge is almost always the cheapest deluxe resort and tends to hold the biggest discounts, and why your room request there can make or break the whole stay. Chip shares the strange story behind our number one pool, which started out closer to a ten foot deep aquarium than a place to swim. We also get honest about the resorts everyone hypes up that quietly missed our list, and why the price of a room has to be part of how you judge a pool.

And near the end, we break down why the most beautiful pool on property still could not reach the top two, and we tease a brand new resort pool that could shake up this entire ranking in a couple of years.

02:00  How we built the list (and why Old Key West got cut)

03:11  Number 9

06:23  Number 8

10:15  Number 7

13:18  Number 6

18:00  Number 5

21:04  Number 4

25:11  Number 3

29:15  Number 2

37:45  Number 1

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

How far in advance should you book your Disney World vacation? Is the dining plan actually worth it? And what is going on with those new MagicBand checks at Disney Springs? In this episode, I sit down with my co-host Chip to answer the listener questions that have been flooding our inbox, and if you’re a family planning a Disney World trip, these are probably your questions too.

We start with the news everyone is talking about: Walt Disney World now requires a MagicBand check to ride buses and boats from Disney Springs to the resorts. I explain why 99 percent of vacationing families will never notice this change, what Disney is really trying to stop, and why I think the Skyliner and monorail could be next. Then we work through your questions one by one: the six to eight month booking sweet spot, how Disney discounts really work behind the scenes, whether the dining plan makes sense for your family, and how many park days a first trip actually needs.

Chip and I also dig into a real client scenario from this week: Pop Century versus Coronado Springs when a 20 percent discount makes them the same price. I explain why most families overestimate how much they will actually use the Skyliner, and why paying up for a Skyliner resort with fewer amenities is usually the wrong move. We also share why the food budget is the first thing I cut on a Disney trip, and why Lightning Lanes are the last.

Stick around to the end, where two dads with ten kids between us settle the rope drop debate and break down exactly when Park Hopper pays off, and when it is just money down the drain. I’ll even tell you how much I have lost on it myself.

FREE: Beginner’s Guide to Lightning Lanes: https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/09205643ab

Chapters

03:52  News: MagicBand checks at Disney Springs

05:54  Who this change actually affects (and who it does not)

07:15  The Grand Floridian gingerbread house and resort crowding

08:58  Should resort guests get dining priority?

09:53  What reservation availability says about Disney demand right now

14:00  Question 1: How far in advance should you book?

16:01  How Disney discounts really work behind the scenes

19:25  Question 2: Is the Disney dining plan worth it?

24:13  Cut the food budget first, never the Lightning Lanes

25:11  Question 3: How many days does a first trip need?

28:38  Question 4: Is the Skyliner worth it? Pop Century vs Coronado

31:17  Why families overestimate the Skyliner

35:22  Question 5: My daughter is terrified of characters

37:51  Question 6: Rope drop or stay late?

42:01  Question 7: When does Park Hopper actually pay off?

49:12  Wrap up and how to get free planning help

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

Lightning Lane is more expensive than ever in 2026. In this episode I share 10 advanced ways to actually get your money's worth using Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World. If you have ever felt like you are paying a lot and still not skipping enough lines, this one is for you.

I am a dad of 5 kids, all 8 and under, and we go to Walt Disney World a lot. I have booked thousands of Lightning Lanes for families as a free travel agent, and these are the strategies I use on my own trips. These are not beginner tips. They assume you already know the basics of how Lightning Lane works, so we can go deeper on some strategies.

FREE Beginner’s Guide to Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World: https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/09205643ab

04:43  Tip 1: The Real Grace Period for Lightning Lanes at Disney World Is Three Hours

07:41  Tip 2: Burner Rides at Disney World and Why I Skip Them

11:47  Tip 3: What to Do When a Ride Goes Down at Disney World

14:50  Tip 4: Single Pass Rides at Disney World Do Not Need to Be Early

16:39  Tip 5: Two Single Passes Per Park Per Day

17:53  Tip 6: Stacking Lightning Lanes for an Evening Park Hop

21:30  Tip 7: Which Park Day to Book First for Lightning Lanes at Walt Disney World

25:15  Tip 8: One Person Should Book for the Whole Group

27:34  Tip 9: Anyone Can Use Someone Else's Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

30:36  Tip 10: How Rider Swap Really Works at Walt Disney World

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

This week I sat down with Julie Voris, a content creator and Disney cast member who works PhotoPass in the parks.

This episode is for those who feel like the Disney World vacation is a giant to do list you are trying to survive.

We talk about how to slow down, find the joy, and actually enjoy the vacation you worked so hard to plan.

Julie is not a tips and tricks account, and that is exactly why I wanted her on. We get into how young is too young to take your kids, why your own memories matter just as much as theirs, and the trap of trying to do every single thing in one day.

Julie shares what she sees from behind the camera in the parks every week, and I share a few stories from my own family trips that taught me the same lessons the hard way.

We also dig into the stuff that quietly ruins good trips. Julie walks through how to plan a brutally hot August park day so nobody melts down, why heading back to the resort pool is not quitting, and how reading a little Disney history can change the way you see the parks.

I get honest about the spreadsheet families I worry about, and we both agree that value at Disney is subjective, so the bubble wand and the chocolate on the shirt belong in the picture.

Stick around to the end for the rapid fire favorites and two of my all time favorite reset tricks for a rough park day. Julie has a monorail move that gets you out of the chaos without going all the way back to your room, and I finally share my PeopleMover secret that I usually keep to myself.

Connect with Julie Voris: Instagram.com/julievoris 

Substack :: substack.com/@julievoris (or on the app @julievoris)

00:00  Welcome and Meeting Julie Voris

02:15  How Julie Fell in Love with Disney

06:28  How Young Is Too Young to Take Your Kids to Disney World

09:49  Why Your Memories at Disney World Matter Too

12:10  When Teenagers Act Too Cool for Photos at Disney World

15:06  What Makes Working at Disney World Special

16:48  Does Living Near Disney World Change the Magic

19:41  Spotting a Good Disney World Vacation in Five Minutes

22:13  Best Advice for First Time Planners at Disney World

23:50  The Real Point of a Disney Trip

27:08  Surviving a Hot August Park Day

32:31  Learning What Works for Your Family at Disney World

39:16  What Belongs in Your Disney World Budget First

41:32  Recognizing When to Take a Break

50:34  The Monorail and PeopleMover Reset Tricks

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.

Planning your first Walt Disney World trip and feeling buried in news, discounts, and decisions? In this episode, Chip and I sort out what actually matters for your family right now. We cover the new Bluey experience, the best room discounts of the year, two changes Disney made without telling anyone, and a full breakdown of split stays.

We start with Bluey’s Wild World at Animal Kingdom, because the hype and the reality do not quite match. I explain what the experience really is, why the virtual queue disappeared so fast, how long the whole thing takes once you add the train, and whether it should change your park plans at all. Then I get on my soapbox about why virtual queues are one of the worst experiences for first-time families.

From there we move to money. The 2027 bounce back offers are live, and these are some of the best pure room discounts you will ever get. I walk through the value, moderate, and deluxe discount ranges, how to bridge dates that fall outside the offer, and a trick I learned this week for moving a bounce back to dates you have not even chosen yet. I also break down the quiet change to Princess Fairytale Hall, where Disney is now rotating a surprise visiting princess and not telling you who it is.

We finish with the segment listeners keep asking about: split stays. Chip and I are both dads of five, so we talk honestly about the bag transfer headaches, the water park perk most families waste, the front desk check-in trick, and the resort combinations we would book if budget were no object.

01:30   Bluey’s Wild World Comes to Animal Kingdom

02:04   What the Bluey and Bingo Experience Is Really Like

10:08   2027 Bounce Back Offers Are Live

15:04   The Quiet Princess Fairytale Hall Change

17:38   Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Cuts Its Dress Options

22:38   Split Stays: Why We Book Them

👉 Need help planning your Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or Disney Cruise Line vacation? Matt is a travel agent with The Magic for Less Travel, and his services are 100% free to you.

📩 Get a free quote: https://www.adventuresofadisneydad.com/get-a-quote

⭐ Enjoy the podcast? Please take a minute to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It helps more Disney families find us.

Have a question? Email us: [email protected]

☕ Want to support the podcast? If this episode helped you, consider buying us a coffee or dropping something in the tip jar. Every bit of support helps keep the show going. https://adventures-of-a-disney-dad.kit.com/products/matthew-brandabur

📬 Have a Disney planning question? Leave a comment, send an email, or drop it on social. We read them all and use them for future episodes.