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

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:

• How to plan a long Walt Disney World vacation in the 8 to 14 day range, and why I raise my resort budget when we stay longer.
• Whether you should still buy Lightning L...

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 Wo...

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...

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 ma...

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, Ol...

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 abou...

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, ...

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 you...

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 n...

Most families head into a Walt Disney World trip with a quiet fear they’ll come home heavier, sluggish, and totally off track. In this episode I sit down with Jake Mayes, a fitness and nutrition coach who runs Magical Transformations, to talk about food, fitness, and the mindset that actually works on a Disney vacation.

Jake and I cover how to think about eating and movement at the parks without ruining your trip. We dig into...

If you’ve been wondering whether Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is actually worth it, how to handle Magic Kingdom after hours events, or how to stop blowing up your day with Lightning Lane Multipass, this episode is for you!

Chip and I are back together to dig into 10 real listener questions from families planning their next Walt Disney World trip. We’re halfway to Halloween, party tickets are about to go o...

If you've ever stared at the My Disney Experience app trying to figure out which Magic Kingdom area restaurant is actually worth your money, this episode is for you!

We sat down to rank all 20 table service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom area, including everything inside the park plus the four monorail and boat resorts. We're going to tell you exactly which ones we'd book again and which ones we'd cancel today.

In this episode, w...

Matt just got back from nine days at Walt Disney World with his family of 7, including 2 babies, and somehow it turned out to be his favorite trip ever and his least stressful one.

In this episode, we break down what actually made it work, including the room request at Saratoga Springs that changed everything and a Lightning Lane rule Disney doesn't tell anyone about.

Matt walks through the full trip: driving down in a Sprinter van...

Matt is literally packing as this episode goes live. So who better to walk you through the last-minute Disney prep checklist than someone who is actively living it? We share the real things families forget before a Walt Disney World trip, including a few gems you only learn the hard way.

In this episode, Matt and Chip go through their full pre-trip routine: checking dining reservations and canceling what you won't use before the fe...

In this Disney news and planning episode of the Adventures of a Disney Dad podcast, Matt and Chip break down several new Walt Disney World discounts, major attraction updates across the parks, and one of the most common questions families ask when planning a trip: where should we eat? Quick Service Edition!

From new ticket deals that could save families hundreds of dollars, to the return of Soarin’ Over America and the arriva...

In this listener Q&A + Disney news episode of the Adventures of a Disney Dad podcast, Matt and Chip break down the latest updates about Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom and answer real planning questions straight from the inbox.

From the rumored Emperor’s New Groove family coaster to a Maleficent boat ride and possible Hades dinner show, we talk through what this new land might actually look like, whether Disney is s...

In this episode of the Adventures of a Disney Dad podcast, Matt and Chip break down everything that’s new at Walt Disney World in 2026 and what it means for families planning a trip.

We cover Disney’s new CEO, what changes (and what probably won’t), and then dive into the best Disney World deals for 2026, including bounce back offers, room discounts, and how kids can eat free on the Disney Dining Plan.

Then we wal...

In this listener Q&A episode of the Adventures of a Disney Dad podcast, Matt and Chip tackle real Disney World planning questions straight from the inbox. From the best and worst holidays to visit Walt Disney World, to dining strategies, Skyliner food debates, and whether certain “Disney hacks” still work, this episode is packed with practical advice for families planning a trip.

Matt also shares a behind-the-scenes...

Trying to decide which Disney World character dining experiences are actually worth the money? In this episode of Adventures of a Disney Dad, Matt and Chip rank their top 6 character dining experiences at Walt Disney World from worst to best, based on real trips, real kids, and real food opinions.

We break down what actually matters to families, including:

• Which character meals give you the best bang for your buck
• Where the fo...