In early March, the CHS seniors traveled to Disney for their senior trip. Planning a senior trip itinerary for five days can be a very tedious task, so to help incoming seniors with planning, I have put together what I think is the most useful information that can help seniors when starting to think about their trip.

Packing 

Before leaving for the airport, you are required to have your bags checked by chaperones the day before you leave. CHS does NOT allow any carry-ons in overhead bins. The weight limit for checked bags is 40 pounds. If your bag weighs more than the allowed weight, you will have to pay an extra fee. 

With this in mind, you want to leave enough space in your suitcase for souvenirs, and weigh your suitcase on a scale at home or get a portable suitcase scale to help avoid extra costs.

It is recommended that you bring a small carry-on, like a purse or a backpack with park essentials, because once you get to the airport, you have limited time with your suitcase before heading to the parks.

The best items to carry with you to the parks are: a portable charger, wallet, sunscreen, fan, reusable water bottle, and sunglasses. 

You will be walking anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 steps each day, so comfortable walking shoes or sneakers is an absolute must.

Roommates 

Another part of the senior trip you must plan before you leave is choosing roommates. Each room holds four people – no more, no less. Make sure the classmates you select to room with are friends you feel comfortable being with, because you will all be sleeping, showering, and changing in the same room. If you are found to be in a room that is not yours after curfew, it will result in disciplinary action.

Curfews 

Chaperones have a strict curfew each morning and night to ensure that everyone is safe in their rooms. Each morning, you can expect a wake-up call from your chaperone by 7:30 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., you will need to be out of the room and have turned in your hotel key to your chaperone. If for any reason, you need to go back to your room during the day, you can return between the hours of 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. After that designated time, you may only return to your room by 9 p.m. at the earliest, with final curfew at 11 p.m.

I recommend trying to leave the park no later than 45 minutes before curfew to ensure you get back to your room on time. The later it gets, the more people there are trying to leave the parks all at once. 

If you are in line waiting for transportation and do not think you will get back on time, it is necessary to let your chaperone know – they will not be upset as long as you have communicated ahead of time. If you fail to get back to the hotel on time and do not inform a chaperone, it will result in a consequence: 30 minutes taken off of your curfew the following night. 

Reservations 

You can make reservations for any restaurant that is in one of the four Disney parks on property or at any of the on-property Disney resorts in advance. These restaurants offer dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and there are a variety of different cuisines to choose from. 

Dining can get very expensive – make sure to talk to everyone in your party in advance of the trip to make sure it is something everyone is comfortable paying for. Dining prices can greatly range in price.

If you want to opt for a more casual dining experience, there are plenty of quick-service options available for a quick meal like chicken tenders or a burger and fries throughout the parks. 

Chaperones will also hand out Disney dining gift cards each day. Typically, the card has around $20-$30 on it. It is important that you spend this money wisely. You can use more than one card to pay for a meal if you still have money left over from the day prior. Cashiers can look up the balance on your cards or you can keep a log on your phone of how much you’ve spent.

The dining cards are only eligible for use at restaurants, quick-service locations, or the hotel food court. 

Lightning Lane 

Formerly known as FastPass, Disney’s new way of reducing wait times on your favorite rides has changed. Unlike FastPass, Lightning Lane is NOT free. There are three options to choose from: Multi Pass, Single Pass, or Premier Pass.

Multi Pass allows you to choose up to three attractions you want to ride before your visit. After the three Lightning Lane passes have been used, you can return to the app to see if there are any more rides available for use of the pass that day. Multipasses can range from $29-$39 per day.

Single Pass is used for in-demand rides where regular passes aren’t always available (like Tron, which can have wait times ranging from 55-100 minutes). There is a limit to two single passes per day. One single pass can range anywhere from $15-$25 depending on the ride.

Premier Pass allows entry to any available Lightning Lane at any point in the day. This is by far the most costly choice, ranging from $199-$449.

My advice would be to start saving up spending money for the trip if this is something you would be interested in. 

Ticketing and the My Disney Experience App

Disney World has its own app, which is the most useful tool you will have on your trip. The app includes a map of the entire property as well as wait times for rides, restaurants, and even locations of bathrooms. 

The My Disney Experience app is how you will make all your reservations, reserve Lightning Lanes, and order food, among other things. 

When you arrive at Disney, you will receive a physical card to enter the parks, but you can scan the QR code on the back to link it to the app, as well as put it in your Apple Wallet. 

I recommend taking a picture of the back of your card on top of scanning it in case it gets misplaced or lost. 

Park Hopping 

Park hopping is one of the most exciting perks of senior trip. Your ticket allows you to enter any of the four theme parks at any point of the day, multiple times a day. 

Give yourself plenty of time to get from one park to another because there is not always direct transportation from one park to another park. For example, if you want to go from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom, you will have to take a bus from Magic Kingdom back to the hotel and get in line for the Animal Kingdom bus from there.

This means it could take anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes to travel from park to park based on crowd levels and time of day.

There are also other modes of transportation to take besides the bus, such as the skyliner, monorail, and boats at select parks. Park hopping is completely optional, but a fun way to experience as much as you can on a short trip. 

Universal 

Another great perk of senior trip is getting to go to Universal! You go to Universal for one day out of the trip, and the park ticket admits you to two parks: Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. You CANNOT get into the Epic Universe park.

It’s also important to note that this will be the only day you CANNOT get into a Disney park. This means that you cannot make any reservations or Lightning Lanes at Disney because you will be denied entry at the gate.

At Universal, you get a $20 gift card to use. I recommend that you definitely use this card because it is a “use-it-or-lose-it” perk as you do not get to go back to Universal any other time on the trip.

After you finish the day at Universal, it is a great night to go to Disney Springs, which is essentially a huge outdoor mall. I would recommend getting most of your shopping done here rather than in the parks because then you won’t have to carry around a shopping bag all day in the parks.

Spending 

Disney can get very expensive very fast. Be mindful of your spending habits and keep track of what you are buying and how you are bringing it home. Food costs can add up quickly, even when you have a dining card, if you are eating at a sit-down restaurant every night.

A lot of fun souvenirs are sold in the various shops throughout the parks. My advice to avoid overspending is if I see something I want, I’ll think it over for a little while to make sure I actually want that item, and whether or not it will fit in my suitcase. 

Even if you think you won’t spend a lot of money on these items, you will probably find something there that you didn’t know existed, and there will be a strong urge to buy it.

In advance of the trip save as much money as you can to make your vacation stress-free and fun!