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20 Tips to get the most out of Walt Disney World

Blog· Travel Tips

9 Oct

Tips to get the most out of Walt Disney World

Disney. We love everything about it…the characters…the princesses…the music….the atmosphere…and the magic. Walt Disney World in Florida is an absolute dream, a holiday of a lifetime…yet if it is your first time visiting it can be, dare I say it, overwhelming. I don’t know about you, but I find the excitement and anticipation of planning a holiday almost as good as the holiday itself. Having been on many a holiday that we did little research for, since having kids I now love to spend time reading up on the destination and writing lists of what we can do and what we need to pack. Do your research, plan your trip and you will definitely enjoy the benefits.

When the people over at Netflights asked me for our Tips to get the most out of Walt Disney World in Florida, I put my head together with some wonderful travel bloggers and super special friends to compile a list of 20 tips to help you to get the best out of your holiday.

1. You can’t do it all. Don’t try to do everything as you will spend your days rushing around and not get the best out of your holiday

2. Plan, plan and plan. Eileen over at Families go! says it’s a great idea to decide which 2-3 parks you want to visit and decide which experiences are important to you. Is your house a lover of the cars…. princesses… or mickey mouse? Plan ahead and look at where you really want to go, what you really want to see, and what you would hate to miss.

3. Plan your meals. There are so many things to consider with the different dining options, meal plans and character experiences. The character dining at Walt Disney World is an absolutely must! Netflights.com have put together a wonderful and comprehensive guide to Dining at Walt Disney World Resort to help to find the right option for you. They sent me this wonderful infographic to help you to plan your holiday meals.

Image Source – NetFlights.com, Dining at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida

Kara over at Chelsea Mama has written a great post for more tips on dining options.

4. Take the kids fancy dress outfits with you. The little ones love any opportunity to dress up, and if you are anything like me, I didn’t even think about taking fancy dress when I was packing for us all….costumes are cheaper to buy at home! So pack that Cinderella dress or that Buzz Lightyear outfit!

5. Wear comfy shoes. Karen at Mini travellers has compiled a great packing guide, and highlights the need to pack some comfy trainers! You don’t realise how much time you will spend on your feet walking around the parks.

6. Don’t forget to visit Disney Springs. Samantha over at Mrs Mulled wine explains that it’s free to visit and there is so much to do including LEGO play, Build a Bear…and for all those Christmas lovers, the designated Disney Christmas Store is definitely worth a visit!

7. Take a pen and pad for autographs. The wackier the pen, the greater the interaction from those cheeky characters!!

8. If you can, stay on site. Sarah at Extraordinary Chaos has a great post on 10 things I wish I knew when I booked my first WaltDisneyWorld holiday. She highlights that staying on site can save so much time. She also adds that the Disney Transport system is fantastic and the network of buses, monorail and boats all add to the holiday experience.

9. Once you have got your tickets, link them to the Disney App. Maria at One tiny leap advises that this is a great way to decide your itinerary and to help to plan what rides you would like to go on.

10. Remember to utilise your fast passes! Donna over at Like Love Do says to book your fast passes for later in the morning, and go to the park before opening when you can enjoy the popular rides early on without the long queues.

11. Get there when the park opens as it is can be quieter. Sarah over at Family Travel Times adds that it is a great idea  to get to the parks early to avoid peak times. They used jet lag to their advantage, waking up and heading to the parks early.  By 10.30/11am, the queues can increase dramatically.

12. Think about different times in the day to visit the parks. Lisa over at Travel Loving Family has some great advice for visiting Disney. She says – another option to avoid peak times is to relax during the day and visit the park after dark – you can read more in her post Tips for planning the ultimate family holiday to Orlando. She adds that the parks don’t close until late, the ride queues are shorter, it is cooler, and the fireworks are spectacular!

13 Pack some glow sticks and bracelets. The kids are crazy about them, and they add to the excitement during the night-time parade and fireworks.

14. Remember suncream. Do not underestimate the sun. Drink plenty of water, take sun hats and if it all gets too much head for the indoor attractions.

15. Dress your kids in bright colours – makes it easier to spot them when it is busy. Another option is to add your mobile to a wrist band just incase they get lost. For the older kids, establish a memorable meeting place at the beginning of the day just incase you get separated.

16. Don’t be afraid to take a break.  If you are staying on site, you can head back to your accommodation and have a rest in the afternoon, enjoy some downtime and let the little ones have a nap. Then pop back to the park later in the day for the parades.

17. Do the character dining. My dear friend Gemma has just returned from Walt Disney World and said that the Cinderella royal dining experience was so magical and memorable. Netflights have highlighted that there are 20 restaurants that offer Character dining experiences. Make sure you take your autograph book and camera!!!

18. Take a pushchair. Great for tired legs, sleeping babies, or little ones that want to get out of the sun. They are also great for storage so you don’t have to carry everything around all day. If you forget – you can rent out a stroller.

19. Bring a poncho or light waterproof from home, don’t be tempted to purchase in the parks.

20 Relax and just enjoy the magic  

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

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Tips to get the most out of Walt Disney World

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If you like this post why not head over to our recent post 7 reasons to visit Brittany in 2018

Flying With A Baby

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Comments

  1. Lisa (Travel Loving Family) says

    October 10, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    Brilliant guide to Disney Katy. It definitely isn’t a family holiday you can just rock up and go with the flow. To make the most of the experience you have to plan and make your reservations. Many thanks for sharing our tips and link. Reading this post has made me want to return to my old home town!

    Reply
  2. Cathy (MummyTravels) says

    October 13, 2017 at 11:51 am

    Wow this is such a fantastic guide to start people off – I’ve never been to Disney and from what I have seen it is totally overwhelming with just so much choice, so much you could do, and I can easily imagine missing out if you don’t plan but not knowing where to start either.

    Reply
  3. Claire at Tin Box Traveller says

    October 13, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    Great tips. We’ve not been to Disney yet and wouldn’t have known about Disney Springs or the app.

    Reply
  4. Leona says

    October 13, 2017 at 7:29 pm

    Great tips. I think planning the meals is key.

    Reply
  5. susanna says

    October 14, 2017 at 6:40 am

    I think your first tip is perfect. Disney is so big you will stress yourself out trying to do it all (I know I did!). Great post!

    Reply
  6. My Travel Monkey says

    October 14, 2017 at 8:07 pm

    What a great guide – one I will be using for sure when I eventually get to take the kids! The biggest one being me!!

    Reply
  7. Sam | North East Family Fun Travel Blog says

    October 15, 2017 at 11:17 am

    Thanks for including our tip – I 100% agree with don’t be scared to take a break too. Sometimes you need it!

    Reply
  8. Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says

    October 15, 2017 at 7:39 pm

    What a great post. I’ve never been to Walt Disney World (or any Disney, for that matter), and these tips are definitely the sort of thing you’d never know unless you’d been. Or spoken with those who have! Thanks for gathering them together into such a digestible format.

    Reply
  9. Emma Raphael says

    October 16, 2017 at 9:40 am

    I feel another Disney visit coming up at some point in the near future (my inlaws live in Florida) so this is super useful! Thank you! (:

    Reply
  10. Jenny - TraveLynn Family says

    October 17, 2017 at 7:30 am

    What fantastic tips! We’re yet to take the boys to Disney. But when we finally do, I’ll be sure to come back to this post. #familytraveltips

    Reply
  11. Baby Loves Travel says

    October 17, 2017 at 8:27 am

    This is a useful post – I will return if I ever manage to convince Daddy to set foot in Disney… #familytraveltips

    Reply
  12. Nicky @ GoLiveYoung says

    October 17, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    Fantastic tips on visiting Disney. It can be quite an endurance test but planning ahead and making reservations certainly helps #familytraveltips

    Reply
  13. Laura says

    October 17, 2017 at 3:35 pm

    Bookmarking this! We’re going in February and I’m definitely more excited than my son 🙂 Thanks for the tips!

    Reply
  14. Coral-Way too much luggage says

    October 18, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    Great pictures! We have been to Disneyland Paris several times but hope to take the children to Florida one day. I love all the planning for a holiday so would be in my element planning for a Disney World trip. Great tips!

    Reply
  15. Carrie - Flying With A Baby ( Family Travel) says

    October 19, 2017 at 3:55 pm

    This is such a useful post- we are planning to go in a couple of years and I wondered about the meal planning. Friends said you definitely need to book in advance so this graphic is one for me to pin! I like the sound of using the Disney App to help with planning too. We used the one at Peppa Pig World and found it invaluable! Thanks for linking up #familytraveltips

    Reply
  16. Plutonium Sox says

    October 29, 2017 at 7:28 pm

    Wow, brilliant tips! I especially like the one about taking fancy dress clothes with you, what a great idea. I’ve never taken my two to Disney yet, we will definitely do it in the future though so this is really helpful. Thanks for linking up to #FamilyTravelTips
    Nat.x

    Reply

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Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights dotted around a
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3


🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages a
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈


A vintage rainbow 🌈

Mucho love tonight - hope
A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x


💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫

💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx


🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx

Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage


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Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐 I often get messages a 🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈
A vintage rainbow 🌈 Mucho love tonight - hope A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x
💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx
🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage
If this year has taught us anything, it’s defini If this year has taught us anything, it’s definitely to not take anything for granted. To take each day as it comes and to enjoy the simple things in life, finding  joy in those ordinary moments. 

I don’t need reminding of this but family and friends are everything. As are good old hugs. (I miss hugs!) And plans. Blooming love a plan. 😍

So ill keep on bobbing on here if that’s okay? I’ll keep planning, writing about our campervan adventures and sharing our van life love and outdoor life. Because we have to have hope and we have to keep dreaming.... 

Hope you are all doing okay, sending a virtual hug if you need one this weekend. My inbox is ALWAYS open, always.
🚐 4 years! 🚐 4 years blogging!! Wowzers tha 🚐 4 years! 🚐

4 years blogging!! Wowzers that has flown by!! 

I’ve had lots of new followers lately so thought I would pop on and say hello and tell you a little bit about us.

I’m Katy and I am behind Otis and us travel blog. I started the blog during my maternity leave - really because I love taking photos and wanted  a place that the kids can look back on and to document our van life adventures. I  am a full time specialist nurse and also currently working on an MSc. I am a whirlwind and life is definitely jam packed but I wouldn’t have it any other way :) 

We love our beautiful T5!! We have made so many memories and taken some wonderful roadtrips over the years. We haven’t managed to get out in the van much this year, but hey I’ve still been dreaming ... hopefully next year🤞🏻🤞🏻

We have three free spirited kiddies who love nothing more than a road trip,  sleeping in the poptop roof, exploring, beach life and toasting marshmallows. 

Mr Otis and Us, what can I say? The chilled one who has so much patience😆. He drives the many miles, lives on coffee and never ever says no to my crazy road trips and ideas. 

So here we are - the Otis and Us tribe, popping on to say hi. 
 
Thank you so much for following along, for all your interaction and love. It means the world. I love to hear from you all, every message and every comment. Thank you 🙏🏻 

Hope you will stay with us for 2021 , 

Stay safe 

Katy xx 🌈

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