TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS

■ Jessica Mickelson of Well Hello Magic: She likes to visit the parks in late August and September, when kids are back in school and crowds are more manageable. “You kind of exchange the heat for the crowd level,” she said. She plans for midday breaks and rest days that let her family take advantage of non-park offerings at the resorts.

Her biggest tips are to understand the geography of the parks and learn to ignore Disney FOMO (fear of missing out). When booking Genie Plus, she said it’s important to know which rides sell out quickly, start with the highdemand one your family wants and then tackle other attractions in the same area.“With Genie Plus, we have never zigzagged across the park,” she said.

■ Jacquie Murphy of Kingdom Elite Travel: She recommends that guests bring an extra power bank or cellphone charger when they go to the parks because they’ll spend so much time on their phones. She also suggests people “play around” with the My Disney Experience app in advance of a trip to Walt Disney World to get familiar with all the features.

On the day of a Disney World visit, Murphy suggests a triage approach starting at 7 a.m. sharp: First, join a virtual queue to get on the hottest new rides without paying extra. Next, use the Genie Plus service (which can be purchased as early as midnight) to choose the first attraction you’ll hit – ideally one that books up quickly. Finally, for those staying on Disney property, snag up to two individual lightning lanes. Everyone else has to wait for the park to open to reserve those slots.

■ David Semanoff, longtime park-goer: His number one tip is to book a room at a Disney resort. He said it’s worth the splurge if for no other reason than being able to pay for a spot on the most popular rides at 7 a.m. Plus, he said staying on property keeps “the whole vibe alive” and lets guests avoid morning traffic jams.

His recommendations wrap up with perhaps the most challenging tip to follow: “Remember to have fun! It can be stressful and annoying, so remember to breathe and enjoy.”