Disney World is the happiest place on earth, but if it’s your first trip there it can be kind of overwhelming and stressful. Even if you’re a Disney veteran, here are a few tips that you may not have known to make your Disney trip even more magical.
1. FastPasses will save your life.
FastPasses are like a VIP, faster line to the more popular rides. You can schedule them for whenever is most convenient for you, and you have an hour long window to get to that ride. You can also get fastpasses to meet certain characters. The FastPass lines are almost always shorter than the regular standby line. If you want to make sure that you get the passes you want for your favorite rides, I would recommend reserving them as soon as possible. You don’t have to wait to get to the parks and go to a FastPass kiosk, you can sign up for them through your Disney account online or on the app.
2. Know the right time to go.
No one wants to wade through hot, sticky crowds of sweaty people and crying children all day. Disney World is always crowded, but there are certain times that are worse than others. I would recommend avoiding the summer, spring break, Thanksgiving break, and around the holidays. Those are the most crowded times of the year for the parks. If you really have no options and want to go during that time, there are certain apps that you can download to show you which of the four parks may be less crowded, so that can help you plan your day.
3. Avoid buying overpriced food.
Disney is the most magical place on earth, so they can charge anything they want for their food because they know people will buy it. To avoid their high prices, you can always bring your own food into the park. If you really want to get some good Disney food; however, there are a few tasty restaurants that are worth the money. Casey’s french fries (in the Magic Kingdom) are some really amazing fries for a decent price. Mickey pretzels (sold at different concession stands around the park) are also a nice affordable option. If you want some ethnic foods, Epcot is a great place to visit. They have food from all over the world. Disney Springs also has some good restaurants, and you don’t have to pay admission to go there. You can also avoid paying for water because there are water fountains placed around the parks, and if you go to a restaurant and ask for a water cup, they will provide you a free one.
4. Single rider lines.
Single rider lines are available for certain, more popular rides like Rock n Roller Coaster and Mount Everest. When you become a single rider, your group will most likely be broken up, and you will be riding with a stranger. However, if you’re comfortable with that they are generally shorter times if you didn’t manage to get a FastPass and don’t want to wait in the standby line. There is no guaranteed wait time, but it is generally a shorter wait time than standby.
5. The best places to hang out.
Disney can get exhausting and overwhelming, especially if you’ve been there are all day, so it’s important to know all the great places to hang out. Whether it’s finding a good place to relax, eat lunch, or even watch the fireworks, knowing all the cool places to hang out are essential. At night, watching the fireworks in a crowd of people can be overwhelming,especially at the end when everyone is trying to leave especially once the show ends, and everyone’s trying to leave. Watching the fireworks from behind the castle will also be a less crowded, different experience. Another good place to watch the fireworks at Magic Kingdom is on the ferry boat dock. You won’t get to see all the visual effects with the castle, but it is less crowded and has easier access to leaving when they’re over. One more great spot is the Contemporary Hotel because they have a deck that faces the park. At Magic Kingdom, a great place to relax is on the Main Street Train Station. If you’re looking for a great ride with some air conditioning on, Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress, the Hall of Presidents, and the People Mover have a low wait time and are quite relaxing rides.
6. Have fun!
It’s easy to get lost in the planning of the trip and stressing to make sure everything goes as planned. It can be chaotic trying to get to each ride before your fastpass expires. But the most important thing to remember is to have fun, make memories, and enjoy the people you are with. Make sure to take a lot of pictures, meet the characters, and have a lot of laughs. One more quick tip: you can ask the professional photographers to take a separate picture with your phone or camera, so that way you don’t have to pay for their version. They all take great pictures and are super kind and friendly!
Hopefully some of these tips will make your experience at Disney World even more memorable. What is your favorite ride?
HC xoxo,
Alyssa Harmon
Photo Source:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/disney-castle-during-daytime-99635/