Living out of state, I don’t get to go to Disney as often as I did as a Florida resident (sadly). I still make it work, and find ways to bring Disney into my life even when I can’t be in Orlando.

I also am constantly looking for opportunities to quick, affordable trips for a weekend in between my long vacations.

Back in May, I had the opportunity to stay with Nikki (@itsdarlingnikki) and her roommate Ashlea (@ashleainthesky) at Hilton Bonnet Creek for a very quick, 36-hour trip to Disney.

Hilton Bonnet Creek is an absolutely gorgeous resort on Disney property, but managed separately by Hilton (similar to Swan and Dolphin and the Disney Springs partner hotels). This hotel, however, puts all of those to shame with its rooms, amenities, and location.

Perhaps one of the best hidden gems, that isn’t really hidden at all, are Disney’s water parks. Before this summer, I had never been to either and didn’t see much of a reason to go.

I thought: I can stay on site and use the pool at my hotel. Or ride a water ride in the parks. Why do I need to pay more money to go to a water park?

Typhoon Lagoon far exceeded my expectations and experiencing at night during a special event made it even better. How did it do that? Keep reading.

Disney vacations are perfect for making family memories, right? So who would think that a Disney trip would also be perfect for solo travelers?

Actually, solo trips to Disney are easier and more enjoyable than ones at most other places.

I do a lot of solo travel (as a single, young adult) to both Disney and other destinations, and often get a lot of questions about how I do it from people saying they are scared or nervous to do a solo trip.

There’s no reason to be nervous – it actually is really nice!

Before April of this year, I was a strong advocate of staying off site to save money. Staying off property wasn’t a priority or focus for me, because I spend most of my time in the parks and the price point was just too much higher compared to some place off site.

That all changed after I stayed at Pop Century at the end of April.

What was different, how I justify the extra cost, and what I loved about Pop Century is all included in this post, so let’s get started!

The most common question I see posted on social media and that gets asked to me in person is “I’m going to Disney for just one day, how do I make the most of it? What should I do?” The reason for only having one day is not so relevant, but it’s usually do having other trip plans, only being in the area for a short time, or cost.

The first thing to do is accept that you will not see everything, even in one park, during your one-day visit to the happiest and most magical place on Earth. You can come close, and you can see the most important/highlight attractions in a park and even in multiple parks.

Here’s how I would approach a game plan and what I advise others when they ask this common question.