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Disney World Made Easy

Tips to Get the Most Out of the Park Part 1

By Tom SzostakPublished 7 years ago 17 min read
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Disney World Parks Orlando, FL

So you are thinking about going to Disney World. Or maybe you have a gone a couple of times and feel pretty confident. Fantastic. The biggest question is if you have started your planning and what are you going to do when you get there. If you have a ton of disposable income and throw money at the park, this article may not be for you as you probably have the park putting together your itinerary now. But if you are an average person and want to make this dream happen without breaking the bank, then this series is for you. You may still get some pointers over how to get the most out of your day for each park.

This is a series on how to manage your time at Disney World and what you can do when you are there for the whole family. You do not have to be a giant Disney nerd like myself, but you will enjoy it if for no other reason than the service is second to none. In this series, I am going to go over places you can look to stay for your vacation to what rides to fast pass. I will touch on dining, fast passes, and even where the best souvenirs are located. By the end of the series, I hope to either look forward to trip even more, or start planning one. This really is the happiest place on Earth, and chances are, you will want to come again and again.

It is very important that I say at the time of writing this, Hollywood Studios is under construction with Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land as well as the closure of the Great Movie Ride. With that said, let's start planning your vacation.

Are you a Florida resident?

Your planning starts here. If you can answer yes to this question, then I will suggest that you invest in an Annual Pass, even if you are going once this calendar year. The cost of a 3-5 day ticket will be more than an annual pass and you can come back as often as you like, even on a whim. There are several options to choose with varying costs, but the Silver Pass is the way to go and give you many options and perks; most notably the 20% off merchandise and a 30 day advance for making fast pass reservations. There are discounts to some restaurants and participating stores throughout Disney World included as well. There are black out dates attached to the Silver Package, but quite reasonable. You can get an Annual Pass if you live out of state, but you can only choose from the two most expensive options available. You may be better off getting the regular tickets and or looking for a Disney Hotel that has the tickets in a package. Which leads to the next stop on our planning...

When should I go?

Florida is a strange beast when it comes to weather. It is hot. There are varying degrees of hot, but hot is what you will feel when you get there. The temperature may dip into the 50s and 60s toward the end of January or early February, but that's about it. The weather has gone below that line before and that is very uncommon. Just prepare for hot. Especially if you are from a cold weather state, 95 degrees may feel like 120 and depending on which park you are in, there is not much shade salvation so dress accordingly.

From June through November, Florida is in the hurricane season. During this time it will rain almost everyday, especially in the summer months. Usually the rain will come when you want it most, come down hard for 10 minutes, and then disappear and become more humid than it was before the deluge. Don't depend on great hair days because there isn't a hair product short of WD40 that will keep your hair looking good all day. The upside to the rain is that it empties the parks and lets you get on out side rides that normally have long lines. This is only if it does not have lightening or thunder in which all outside rides are closed until cleared which can take forever.

Where did everyone go?

Magic Kingdom in the Rain in Summer

Weather aside, you should plan on when the crowds are at their lowest. The best way to answer that is to think: whenever your kids are supposed to go back to school from major vacations; just after summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Years, and Spring Break for all schools. Any other time will be busy to super busy especially in the times listed above. Sure your kids might miss some school work, but you will look like a superhero for their extended vacation and the fact that they will have a better time at the park. You may also check the Disney Calendar of Events for the big events like Food and Wine Festival, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween, etc.

Where should I stay?

There are so many hotels in Orlando/Kissimmee that you need to weigh out what is important to you in your hotel and how much you are willing to spend to get that experience. Hotels are broken into On-Property and Off Property. The On-Property hotels are then broken down by Disney Owned or Chain. Let's look at the On-Property hotels first.

To be on the Disney Property, all hotels, regardless of rating, must adhere to standards that are higher than normal brand standards elsewhere. If you stay at the Holiday Inn on the property, no other Holiday Inn will compare. You will get the same service at the Swan & Dolphin, Hyatt, and Radisson. All are amazing. The difference in each of the Hotels are what they have to offer as far as amenities, on-site restaurants, pools, golf course, etc. If you want to take turns babysitting while one parent goes to the spa and the other spends the day in park, there is a hotel that has you covered. You want to eat at a fabulous restaurant and not have to leave your hotel, that's covered, too. If you are like me and just need a place to shower and lay your head while you are at the parks, done. The same transportation system is set up for all On-Property hotels which means the buses are available more often to and from the parks and Disney Springs. The best perk for staying at a Disney-owned hotel, regardless of which one, is Extra Magic Hours. This is when they add more time at the beginning and end of a regular day to enjoy the park with little to no lines. This is really great for Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. There are more to each hotel but for the budget, I would suggest Disney's All Star Resorts. There are three of them that are different by theme. If you can afford it, the Animal Kingdom Lodge or Villas is amazing. Waking up to a giraffe in your window is a great way to start the day.

Off-Property hotels may be a bit more affordable but you will then have to be subjected to @20.00 a day parking or a fairly unreliable park bus, depending on your hotel, that could ruin your whole days' plan, both coming and going. A lot of these hotels will offer free breakfast in their rates as well as parking. Some are even pet friendly. Another idea is rent an Airbnb for your stay or stay at the campground and rough it for $59.00 a night. The options are really limitless.

What should I pack?

That is a great question. I recommend anything in the soccer world for either shorts and shirts or any other sweat wicking material, wool runner's socks, cross trainers, a hat, shades, back pack, and plenty of sun screen. I can not express to you the need for super supportive shoes and wool running socks. For the most slow going person, you are going to walk miles and waiting in lines takes a toll on your stamina. The shoes for the support and specifically wool running socks to prevent blisters and rubs; there is a reason ultra runners swear by them. Nothing can ruin a vacation faster than a major blister or bruised feet on the soles—Chanel, Chloé, or Lanvin are meant for the beach or the mall, definitely not Disney.

You are going to place that has souvenirs for its souvenirs. You are going to buy t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and maybe even Mickey Hands. Why bring clothes that you are not going to wear? So don't. Do bring a change of clothes for going to restaurants outside of the park or for Disney Springs if you have plans there in the evening. It is a good idea to go back to hotel and wash the park funk off before heading out for a night on the town, either with or without kids. Although you can buy some amazing new clothes at Disney Springs and show it off at night.

Essentially, pack light and for hot weather so you can leave room for what you bring back which could be a lot. There is really nothing that you could forget and that Disney does not have that you can get there or at a store off property. Interesting tidbit: the one thing Disney does not sell is gum for the obvious disposal reasons. So if you are gum person, load up for the stay or go without. Optional items to save money: a poncho, umbrella, or parasol, refillable water bottle/spray bottle, and/or water proof card carry case. Other wise you can load up when you get there for a triple what you will pay at home.

There are two types of people at the parks when it comes to the packing part: miserable, over packed, cranky parents or the back pack and happy family. All of your bags, purses, and packs are searched when you enter the parks and I mean searched. Pack light. The rule of thumb is a day pack half full with a water/spray bottle is more than enough for the day. You will buy t-shirts and hats, you will eat what they have there. So why haul a ton of stuff just in case? Each park has a first aid station that has a ton of free stuff in case of small emergencies; Band-Aids, feminine hygiene, aspirin, and most over the counter meds. If you are with a baby, a typical outing pack should be adequate, but they have that covered as well if worst comes to worst. They really have thought of everything.

A last note on this is about your tech. You are going to go through your phone battery like mad. I would spend a little dough on a mobile phone charger that can be recharged over night. There are several that you can get on Amazon for $20.00 and can charge two phones at once. Extra batteries and files for a point and click. If this is your first time here, you will photograph everything. You may want to add the My Disney Experience App to your phone as it tells you all the wait times for all the parks or to see about last minute reservations in a restaurant. There are other options as well that you will find handy and it is free. The Disney Shop Parks App is good too to see all of the items they have to sell and where to find some of the park only items. You are not allowed to bring selfie sticks into the parks so leave that at home; they will confiscate from your bags if you try to walk it in that way. Also tablets. They are pretty burdensome to haul around the park all day and aren't great for getting a shot of something on the fly.

What do I do next?

You have your tickets purchased, hotel booked, plane tickets, and your bags are almost packed. Now is the time to get Fast Passes if you are able. You can get them up to 60 days before you arrive if you stay at a Disney Property. With the added Magic Hours, you are guaranteed to get on all of the good rides that people are currently waiting hours to ride. If you are picking up your tickets when you get there, be prepared to wait. It's just another way Disney is trying to get that cheddar, but really it is worth it.

You may want to look at what there is outside of the parks to do. Are there any concerts at the Amway Arena in Downtown Orlando, who is playing at the House of Blues, Cirque du Solei, The Knife Argentinian Grill, etc. There is more to Orlando than just the parks, but let's stick to Disney for now. There are several amazing restaurants that you can make reservations for in all of the parks and Disney Springs that with a huge price range. There are several "grab-and-go" restaurants all over the property that have your standard burgers and pizza fare that are really tasty and a lot more affordable than the sit down restaurants. Epcot is amazing at this as they have at least one sit down restaurant and grab-and-go for all 14 countries in the World Celebration area.

You really want to have a plan for each day of your vacation and what you want to do the most; i.e. shows, rides, parades, or character meet and greets. Each park has them with the appropriate theme. I will get into each park to make up the rest of the series but for now, let's focus on the framework of your plans and how long you can expect to be at each one to see everything, or just what you want.

Let's start with the water parks. They are really great for the kids and offer a great respite during the super hot afternoons. The water parks are an additional charge to your tickets so make sure that you will go there or it is really big waste of money. Besides, there are better parks in Orlando not under the Disney Banner or probably near whatever small/big town you can go to any summer. Again, they are really fun, but at the end of the day, it's just another water park. So I think we are done here.

Hollywood Studios is now officially a half day park. As of writing this, there are a total of 4 rides. Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot are all-day parks. They all have character meet and greets and shows that are specific to each park and themed restaurants. They all have a night show as well to close out every night. There are a few of ways to build that frame based on what your main goals are.

- "I want to see it all": If you want the whole experience, get the normal tickets with no extras and spend the whole day at each of the parks. Get some fast passes for the big rides/shows and stay till close. Get your camera ready and just blend. Be prepared to wait in some lines but the Imagineers have made some great areas for pics and things to keep you entertained while in line for some of the bigger rides that you may want to wait in line for.

- "I want the rides": Get a park hopper pass first. Make your fast pass reservations for the rides in the parks you will be in at night. Get to a different park in the morning when it opens, go directly to the big rides and wait in the shorter lines and knock them out then go to your closing park to close the day. When making the fast pass reservations, you may want to work the clock a bit so you can fit in rides in between times. The FP reservations are in one hour blocks that last for an hour that start at the initial time and can not be overlapped by another time slot. So you can book Space Mountain at 5:00, Thunder Mountain at 6:00, and Peter Pan at 8:00. You hit Space at 5:00 and now with the hour block, you have until 7:00 to get on Thunder Mountain. Now you can get in line for Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Dumbo, etc in the duration before the 7:00 time. Then you have another two hours before your 8:00 pass expires at Peter Pan to get in more second tier rides.

- "I love the shows and smaller rides": You are an easy to please person who will have a great time. I would still get the fast pass so you can move against the tides depending on the parks. In your case, you should never waste a fast pass on a show, as there are plenty of seats available for all of them. Just get there about 20 minutes before hand you will get a great seat. Make it an hour to 90 minutes if you are waiting for the big end of night shows at Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Fireworks or the Happily Ever After show at Magic Kingdom. Other than those two shows, the 20 minute rule applies.

Let's recap what you need to do. When to go, where to stay, what to pack, and what is most important for you to do. This should narrow your focus and to keep you from getting overwhelmed. There is a reason why this is one of the most visited tour attractions in the world and you can feel it as soon as you enter Disney World. The service is second to none and the experience is fun for young and old. There are a few things to watch out for at every park that you just have to blow off:

- Stroller Bangers: Easily the worst of the lot. They use their baby stroller, usually with the kid in the stroller, to barge through crowds hitting anyone in their way while spouting snarky comments at those assaulted. They will also walk through crowds, stroller first, while staring in a completely different direction where they always wind up hitting someone. They are most commonly found in Magic Kingdom but do hit the other parks. They feel entitled and it shows. I usually ignore them or laugh at them, face to face, sarcastically, because I am like that.

- Too Cool for Disney Parents: These people have some serious dough and have lost touch of their inner child long ago. They will be dressed in fashion forward trendy clothes with the most expensive gadgets available. They want you to know they have money and have no need for anything from Mickey. They are miserable. You can tell they are throwing money at the kid to "buy" the experience when you can tell their kids want them to share the experience. The kids can actually sense that their parents would rather be golfing, at a bar, or anywhere else than in line to meet Cinderella. Just avoid them at all costs lest your soul be sucked into the nether.

- The Brew Crew: These people are commonly found at Epcot get trashed at World Celebration. But now that Disney sells alcohol at all of the parks except Magic Kingdom, there are some hard drinking folks out there. I will admit I too have drunk myself around the world a couple of times at Epcot, and even got a nice fat buzz at Hollywood Studios—the Brown Derby makes an AMAZING double dirty vodka martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives. But some in the younger crowd can't hold their booze and can be an issue. If you have young kids, I would avoid the World Celebration area of Epcot for the Food and Wine Festival as that is when they go up to 35 countries that all offer beer and wine to sample during this time. There are even t-shirts to cross off which countries they have hit for that year. Throw in the walking Bachelorette Parties and you can imagine it's a great place if you're old enough, but not for the young.

I hope this gets you started in the right direction as my next chapter in this series will bring you to my favorite park, Disney's Animal Kingdom. It has the newest area in Pandora and has extended its times to close at night with new night options that was much needed to make this park amazing. It's newest high end ride, Flight of Passage is unlike any ride you have ever been on and everything the most die hard Avatar fan ever wanted. Until next time, get your framework started and we will get to the really fun stuff next.

See you soon...

Tree of Life at night at Disney's Animal Kingdom

family travel
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About the Creator

Tom Szostak

Creative Writer that is taking control of his life.

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