I Fly to Disney World 12 Times a Year. These Are the Airplane Hacks I Swear By.

You’d think in this day and age with all the technology available to us that air travel wouldn’t still be such a headache, but here we are.

And, for someone who travels for work like I do, that can add up to a lot of headaches. Luckily, I’ve gotten my routine down pretty well but it took a lot of trial and error to become a pro. Flying might be a nightmare sometimes, but these are the airplane hacks I swear by!

I travel to Disney World about once a month for my job, and that means I spend a good amount of time at the airport and on airplanes. And, although flying can be a bit of a hassle, I’ve found a few tips and tricks that help keep me sane even on the longest of work trips. So, let’s get into it!

Get TSA Precheck

If you travel a lot or don’t want to deal with the hassle of regular security lines, you can purchase TSA PreCheck so that you get it every time you travel for 5 years. To get PreCheck, you will submit an application and the TSA uses that to  “conduct a security threat assessment.”

If approved, you will receive a Known Traveler Number that you can add to each flight that you book.

This has been such a lifesaver — and time saver — in my experience. Being able to waltz through security and breeze past long lines means not having to get to the airport any earlier than absolutely necessary. With that being said, I do always plan some extra time in case of traffic or other unforeseen circumstances.

Pack a Carry-on ONLY

This has come in handy more times than I can count, but packing ONLY a carry-on is pretty much the only way I’ll travel unless I need to bring a lot of things with me. During busy times of year like the holiday season, some of the longest lines you’ll see will be for checked baggage drop off!

Unfortunately, this is especially true at Orlando International Airport (MCO) which is the closest airport to Disney World. Not only can this help save you time, but the airline can’t lose your luggage if you never check it in the first place!

I will warn you, though, that overhead bin space in flights seems to be getting harder and harder to come by, and in some cases, your airline may make you check your carry-on anyway. It might be a good idea to try and pack everything into a backpack. This one is my favorite!

If You Have to Check a Bag, Bring Essentials in a Carry-on

I know that sometimes checking a bag is unavoidable, so if you have to, try to bring any essential items you can’t live without in a carry-on or personal bag. Even if your luggage doesn’t end up being lost, you’ll still be spending a chunk of time without it.

If you have any medication, personal items, chargers, clothes — pretty much anything you don’t want to leave up to chance — that you’re bringing along, it’s a safe bet to always keep them with you in case you find yourself stranded without a bag!

Bring a Portable Charger

Airplanes have come a long way and many of them feature built-in USB chargers if you need to use them — but it’s not always the case. I’ve been on all sorts of planes over the past year and you can’t always count on there being a charger for you to use.

My backup is to always bring a portable charger and charging cable with me — that way I don’t have to leave things to chance or run the risk of a dead phone. I typically use my phone as my boarding pass and to get flight information, and if it’s dead, well, I can’t do that. But with a portable charger like this one, it’s no problem!

Don’t Forget an Emotional Support Water Bottle

Who wants to pay $50 for a bottle of water at the airport? Okay, they might not be that expensive but in this economy? Pass. Instead, I always bring an EMPTY reusable water bottle in my carry-on to fill up after I get through security.

Just be sure you don’t fill it up before going through TSA or you’ll have to dump the water out! Most airports these days even have those bottle-filling stations so you don’t have to awkwardly hold yours at an angle while trying to fill it from an old-school water fountain.

So, while traveling may not always be easy, I hope these hacks can help you along the way. Don’t forget to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest travel tips and Disney news!

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Will you be flying to Disney World this year? Tell us in the comments!

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