When you wish upon a star, your dream theme park day can come true. As long as you “Go the Distance” and “Whistle While You Work.” Prepare to be sick of me as I unleash my unruly love for the Disney and Universal theme parks onto you!
Growing up in South Florida, my family naturally made these magical destinations our default vacations every summer or long weekend we got hold of. My sister and I couldn’t help but almost make theme park knowledge and experience our entire personalities. Late-night deep dives into Disney attraction history or theme park vloggers on YouTube served us very well (shoutout to our fav, TheTimTracker).
Now we know these places as if we were born in Fantasyland and grew up down the block in Islands of Adventure. Our family park days are what I’d call a calm yet controlled art we’ve perfected; there’s a deep calculation involved in curating the ease we feel each time we visit.
So, I can’t leave my girlies hanging! I know the spring break winds can just so happen to carry you to the most magical place on Earth, and I can keep you Soarin’ Around the World!
Must-Dos
First, I sit down with my travel buddies and list out what each of us can’t leave without doing or seeing. Have you been meaning to ride Velocicoaster? Did you want to see the Happily Ever After firework show? What about getting those cheeseburger egg rolls you’ve been seeing on TikTok?
I always recommend my friends who are first-time park visitors to search up vlogs or download the park’s app to get a feel for what they may or may not want to do.
With this list of activities, my group and I add the things we’d still love to see or do but wouldn’t be heartbroken to miss. We then order these items from most to least importance, finally having an idea of what we’re going to get busy with when we skip through that grand entrance.
I Know About Popular!
I like to cross-reference this list we’ve constructed with the popularity of each attraction or activity. Thankfully, I’m familiar with what attractions seem to get the most attention, as my family and I visit quite often. If I’m unsure about one, I look at the theme park’s app for the current wait time to get a pulse check.
Newer rides or lands are nine out of 10 times going to look like herding groups of humans if you leave them for later in the day to complete. I tend to suggest to my friends that we prioritize any hit attractions for earlier in the day to avoid getting stuck in their mid-day peak hours of operation. Once these big dogs are dealt with, the smaller puppies can come out to play.
Let it Flow
Another helpful perspective I keep in mind is designating the path my friends and I wish to take throughout our magical journey. It can take a load off when we just let our plans be designated by what’s nearby; we avoid having to soar across a park or split apart to get to the next item on the docket when we stick to our surroundings.
Breaking up our plans in terms of geography is especially helpful for parks like Epic Universe, where each land is a “portal” that branches off from the main hub, making it more fragmented than the average Magic Kingdom park.
Do we want to start in Nintendo World because it’s the most likely to get packed later, or is Isle of Berk better because that’s where we want to get our breakfast? If we start there, why not just ride Hiccup’s Wing Gliders and head to Nintendo World after?
Not only does our flock stick together, but we’re also able to fully enjoy each land before moving to the next, adding serenity to the plans.
Tale As Old as Time
A mistake we still tend to make is placing time stamps on when we want to do certain activities. All it seems to do is constrict our freedom, rush our experience, and disappoint us when we don’t meet it.
The central idea for these parks is to immerse visitors in fantastical worlds, catch the small easter eggs, and listen to the coordinated music. The theme park engineers don’t play; nothing is placed by mistake, and each drawing or color is chosen very carefully to bring stories to life.
I find it so important to leave room in the schedule for wandering and shopping; my most fond memories are from discovering something I hadn’t seen before. Creators of these worlds need celebration. Distraction is a good thing; that’s how you get your money’s worth!
Don’t Stick to the Status Quo
D’oh! I can’t forget to include some of my theme park veteran tips that will maintain the magic momentum of a trip.
Eating before peak lunch times, usually 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., has saved us chunks of time, especially when we plan our restaurants and meals ahead of time. Once that lunch rush hits, my friends and I are too busy riding other attractions when their wait times dip. This applies to times of parades or large shows, too!
This all may seem like a lot to consider, but I’m sure with these perspectives in mind, you’ll bring honor to us all. With faith, trust, and pixie dust, my friends and I have made some of our best memories at theme parks, and you can too!
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