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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If you like this post why not head over to our recent post 7 reasons to visit Brittany in 2018
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!
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.
Great tips. We’ve not been to Disney yet and wouldn’t have known about Disney Springs or the app.
Great tips. I think planning the meals is key.
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!
What a great guide – one I will be using for sure when I eventually get to take the kids! The biggest one being me!!
Thanks for including our tip – I 100% agree with don’t be scared to take a break too. Sometimes you need it!
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.
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! (:
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
This is a useful post – I will return if I ever manage to convince Daddy to set foot in Disney… #familytraveltips
Fantastic tips on visiting Disney. It can be quite an endurance test but planning ahead and making reservations certainly helps #familytraveltips
Bookmarking this! We’re going in February and I’m definitely more excited than my son 🙂 Thanks for the tips!
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!
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
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