After traveling to Disney World several times, we've developed a bit of a routine for how we begin and end our trips, as well as how our days usually go while we're there. I have details of that for you today.

I also have a quick tip for people who are interested in getting a rental car for part of their trip.

These are notes from this episode. There's much more info included in the audio so be sure to listen to the episode for a better explanation.

My Disney World routine

Arrival day

I always check the packing list before leaving home, arrive at the airport early, take a picture of the parking spot, go through security and then eat or stay entertained while waiting for the flight to leave.

People with young kids might consider packing a vacation travel bag which I've always had my kids open at the gate since we tend to arrive early and it helps them stay busy.

After arriving at the Orlando airport, we like to go to the bathroom and grab a bite to eat at the food court in the remote terminal building before taking the tram to the main building. This graphic helps show how the airport is set up.

We then go to the main terminal and get our luggage at the baggage carousel. You may opt to have Magical Express transport it, but it can take up to 3-4 hours for them to deliver your bags.

After getting our bags, we then head to the Magical Express desk on side B, level 1, and board the bus to our resort. I unpack our stuff right away so everything is easy to access and then I get our park bag ready for our first park day.

Each day of our trips

We get up in the morning and get to the bus stop an hour before the park opens that day. We have bottled water and a snack on the way and usually arrive 30-40 minutes before park opening.

We tour for a couple of hours and have lunch around 11 where we discuss how we'd like to spend the rest of the day.

Our days end with a shower, reviewing the next day's plans, and repacking the park bag for the next day.

Departure day

On departure day, we pack up the room, go to the airline check-in desk to get our boarding passes and check our checked bags. We then take carry-on bags to luggage services and head to the parks.

About 4 hours before our flight time, we board the bus back to the resort to get our bags out of luggage services and then catch Magical Express back to the airport.

After arriving at the airport, we go through security and hang out near the food court where we can plug in our devices, eat, and refill our drinks while we wait.

Quick tip of the day

People staying on-site can rent a car for part of their trip. There are National and Alamo desks at the Car Care Center and The Dolphin. Downtown Disney hotels also have Avis (at the Hilton), Budget (at the DoubleTree), and Dollar (at the Wyndham) rental car desks.

This graphic helps illustrate where each of these are located and how to get there.

Have a quick tip of your own? Call it in at