7 DO’s and DON’Ts for Using the My Disney Experience App

The My Disney Experience App is extremely helpful and links everything to your Magic Bands, which help to ensure that all aspects of your vacation are at organized and ready for you to enjoy.  There are several things that you should definitely know as you are using the app to plan and enjoy your Disney vacation:

7 – DO set up the free account!

The account is entirely free to set up, and it is invaluable in helping to plan and organize every aspect of your vacation to Walt Disney World. You can use the web interface or the mobile application to set up and manage all of the details of your account, including all reservations, park tickets, resort reservations, preferences, celebrations, etc. You can even put in notes about your vacations and mark your favorite attractions. It is beneficial, and did I mention that it is entirely free?

6 – DON’T forget to add the other members of your party.

Once you have set up an account, you will want to make sure that each member of your party has a profile so that you can link them to all of your reservations. They can then set up their own free account and then complete a friend request to connect with you so that you can add each other to reservations and plans. If they don’t have an interest in an account or aren’t old enough to manage their own, then you can add them as a friend and manage their profile yourself. You will still be able to add them to everything.

5 – DO ensure that all of your reservations are linked.

This is especially important! To get the most use out of the application and to ensure that you have all of your reservations managed in a single place, you will need to make sure that they all appear on the reservations tab. If you don’t see one there, you can easily link them and add the appropriate members to the group. This will help keep you from missing anything and planning the other aspects of your trip around the reservations. You must also make sure that your Magic Bands are properly linked to your account and to each member of your party. Your Magic Bands are how you will access most of these reservations and park admission.

4 – DON’T forget to validate your address, credit card information, etc. is up to date.

It will save you a lot of time if you make sure that you have full and complete information in your account. The mailing address is very important since this is where your Magic Bands and other items will be mailed to. You definitely don’t want these items getting lost in transit. Your credit card and billing information are used to hold all of your dining reservations (in most cases, it WILL NOT be charged, though). The credit card information is also used for your resort charges, and you can also set a pin number to help protect your accounts.

3 – DO make sure you have downloaded and gotten comfortable with the application.

Before you go on your vacation, you will want to download the app to your phone. It is a free app in the app store on your phone. Once downloaded, you will be able to log into your account. Be sure to spend time getting comfortable with the app so that you know where to find everything. You will be able to see attractions at each park, all of your reservations, park hours, and more. It gives you a lot of information to keep you organized and get the most out of your vacation right at your fingertips.

2 – DO Get Familiar with the Services: Disney Genie and Lightning Lanes Before You Arrive

Disney Genie and Lightning Lane services are now available to guests in the My Disney Experience App. Disney Genie is a complimentary planning tool built right into the My Disney Experience app. We believe it improves the overall guest experience with tip boards, forecasted wait times, and planned itineraries. Using Disney Genie may improve your day and save you time since it will help you figure out what you want to do. We encourage everyone to try Disney Genie, especially first-timers who may be overwhelmed with the number of options at Walt Disney World.

A lot of confusion surrounds the Lightning Lane and how guests can access it. Previously known as the FastPass line, guests now have three paid options in the app to skip the standby line if they choose. First, guests can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass.  With Multi Pass, you can pre-book up to three initial attractions and access the Lightning Lane attractions at each park. Once you’ve visited the first attraction, you can book another attraction, based on availability. A second option is Individual Lightning Lane Single Pass selections. These single purchases are separate from Multi Pass and are necessary for in-demand attractions. Unfortunately, you can only purchase two a la carte selections per day.

A third option, only available to Disney Deluxe Resort guests, is the new Premier Pass option. Guests who purchase the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will give guests one entry to each available Lightning Lane attraction at any time in the theme park they are visiting that day. This includes attractions included in both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, but with Lightning Lane Premier Pass, guests do not need to select an entrance time.

Guests can use all three options, just one or none, since the regular standby queue is still an option for all attractions but two attractions. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind us a virtual queue.

1 – DO Use the App for Mobile Ordering

Most quick-service restaurants require or strongly encourage you to use mobile ordering to place an order at a restaurant. So be ready for and expect to use the app for your quick-service meals. You also want to order early in the day (you can always cancel) since Disney now sets aside a select number of orders per ‘arrival window.’ So once a time slot is full, no more orders for that time will be accepted. If you go to order at noon, the first available time slot may be hours later. Click here to learn what you need to know about mobile ordering.