Are you ready for some expert level Disney World hacks?? A vacation in Disney World is a magical experience in and of itself, but getting great discounts and free tickets can make it EVEN BETTER, RIGHT?!

You might know about benefits like Early Theme Park Entry and Mobile Order that can make your trip even more enjoyable. But here are five under-the-radar Disney World hacks ranging from big to small that you can use the next time you’re in the parks!

1. Make Genie+ Reservations Before Your Hard-Ticket Event

Throughout the year, Disney World offers several separately ticketed events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We already LOVE these for the unique food, entertainment, and merchandise choices — and the shorter lines don’t hurt either!

But, did you know you can get even MORE value out of your ticket?? Guests for hard-ticket events can typically enter the park up to three hours before the start of the event using their special ticket. But MANY guests have no idea that in the past, you could use your event ticket to make FastPass+ selections for the last few hours the park is open to the general public, even without a regular park ticket!

Now, most of us know that FastPass is gone and it’s been replaced by Disney Genie+, so we’re going to have to see if this rule still applies since this is a new system. We would think it would be, since you were allowed to do this in the past, but we’ll update you when we know for sure! Just know that you would still probably have to pay the full $15 per person, per ticket for the service.

If you choose to spend the morning at the pool or Disney Springs, this is a great way to save a day ticket AND experience even more attractions!

Click here for our FULL GUIDE to Disney Genie+

2. Use Annual Passholder Discounts WISELY at Merchandise Locations

Being an Annual Passholder can have its perks! AP discounts are offered on everything from dining to resort reservations and merchandise. But, not every location offers a discount!

Let’s say you’re looking for a bottled beverage or pre-packaged snack. If you stop by one of the drink carts or kiosks, you won’t be able to apply your AP discount. BUT, if you stop by a merchandise location instead, you can apply your Annual Passholder discount to bottled drinks and packaged snacks and save some cash! Just be sure to have your Passholder card AND a photo ID on you to claim your discount!

And let’s take this hack a step farther — did you know that Karamell-Küche is considered a merchandise shop?? That means the 20% Annual Passholder discount applies here as well! And since there are plenty of great snacks to choose from at Karamell-Küche, it’s the perfect place to stock up on discounted treats! We highly recommend the freshly made caramel popcorn…or boozy caramels…or caramel cupcakes. You get the picture. 😉

Check out what we thought of a fun Karamell-Küche treat!

3. Check Your My Disney Experience App for Potential Freebies

There’s a reason we suggest you pack your rain gear for a Disney World trip — Florida can experience some pretty intense (and frequent) storms! But, when we experienced an exceptionally rainy Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party back in 2019, Disney gave us a nice surprise that TOTALLY made up for the weather that YOU can potentially benefit from!

As we were (very, very wet) leaving Magic Kingdom that evening, we were given a “rain check” voucher to use later! The voucher stated that the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party hard ticket would automatically be changed into a 1-Day Disney Park Ticket, just because the rain put a damper on the evening! Plus, the voucher also gave us the option to switch from a 1-Day Park Ticket to another future Magic Kingdom hard-ticket event if we preferred!

We were stoked about this! BUT since we didn’t receive a pop-up notification in My Disney Experience, the only way to know about the rain check was to search the app to see if the automatic extra 1-Day Park Ticket was there. You could also swing by Guest Relations for assistance. We’re not sure if Disney will still make this happen since the party is returning for the first time since 2019 this year, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated! Just make a note to keep an eye on My Disney Experience to see if Disney passes along any freebies!

Click here to read more about our rain check experience!

4. Create Your Own Churro Sundae in Magic Kingdom

This one is simple for anyone to accomplish! Is there a more perfect combination than churros and ice cream?? We don’t think so! That’s why we were ecstatic when a churro ice cream sandwich was added to the menu at Sleepy Hollow in Magic Kingdom. And then equally as devastated when it disappeared in 2020!

But, all hope isn’t lost! We found a way to recreate a version of this sorely missed snack in Magic Kingdom. First, we snag a churro from the snack cart near Cinderella Castle or the churro cart in Frontierland. This step is key, or else the Florida heat could claim your ice cream!

Next, we head to Main Street Plaza Ice Cream Parlor and grab our ice cream. Vanilla is classic but any flavor is fair game — YOU DO YOU! Then, just break up your churro and add pieces to the ice cream (or dip the churro right in) and enjoy!

As sad as we were to see the churro ice cream sandwich removed from the menu at Sleepy Hollow, we’ve been able to ease the pain with this hack!

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5. Get Your Best Score EVER On Toy Story Mania

If you enjoy the friendly competition on Toy Story Mania in Hollywood Studios as much as we do, you’ll definitely want to hear these tips! The basic concept of this ride is pretty simple — hit targets to rack up as many points as possible! But there are a few secrets to getting ahead of the game.

Let’s start with the first scene in the ride — the barn. If you knock the fox off of the henhouse, some high-scoring hens will appear! Now, on to the green aliens scene. Ring all of the green aliens at the same time (working with your partner helps!). If you do, an open-mouthed robot will appear and you can continue to shoot rings into his mouth for 1000 and 2000 points each!

Remember us when you make it to the top of that leader board!

STEP-BY-STEP Guide: How to Purchase Genie+ for Disney World

So, there you have it — five expert-level Disney World hacks to take your vacation to the next level! Whether you’re trying to experience as many attractions as possible, find the tastiest treats, or impress your friends and family, we’re here to help! Hopefully we’ll see ya in the parks real soon!

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What are your favorite Disney World hacks? Let us know in the comments!