8 Need-to-Know Tips for an Epic Walt Disney World Trip
When Tom and I went to Disney World last month, we had an absolute blast! But while we were out there and since our return, I've had a few questions from people asking me if I had any tips for first timers this summer. One chappy on Instagram was going there for the very first time and wanted to know if I had any tips for him.
So it got me thinking; "I wonder how many other people are wanting some good and honest hints and tips for their first trip to Disney World?". Hence why you're getting this post today! I hope you find it useful :)
Go round anti-clockwise
This might sound silly, but everyone will be wanting to go around all of the parks clockwise as opposed to anti-clockwise. This is a great tip for those who would prefer to stay away from much of the crowds for the most part. The further you go round, however, the more busy it will get as you'll be heading towards the entrance (which is also the way out), but it's perfect for those who want to take the day a little slower to start with and you might even find that the rides you come across will have shorter wait times.
Check ride waiting times on the app
If you download the Disney app, then you'll be able to see digital maps of each park. These maps have the wait times of all of the rides in the park, so you can head over to the ride with the shortest queue time. It's also useful if there's a popular ride that you want to go on because you can keep an eye on how the wait times are changing. If it goes down to a reasonable time, then head on over and join the queue.
We did this for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance. The wait times for this are ridiculous so we kept on checking on the app and headed over once the time had gone down to around 70 minutes. I know what you're thinking "70 minutes is a long time", yes, I agree, but these new, popular rides will have extensive wait times.
So 70 minutes is actually quite a short time to wait seeing as it can often go up to 125 minutes in most cases. It would also be worthwhile checking the app before your visit and looking at the wait times regularly. This way, you'll get more of a feel for what's a good wait time and what's a long one.
Have a plan for each day
This is, in fairness, easier said than done. But when you book to go to Disney World nowadays, you have to book yourself into the parks you want to go to in advance and these can book up pretty quickly, especially if you go during school holidays. HOWEVER, just because you start your day at one park doesn't mean to say you have to finish it there.
After 2pm, you'll be able to move freely across the four parks. So for example, you could start at EPCOT and then, after 2pm, take the cable cars over to Hollywood Studios. You could then go back to EPCOT at the end of the day to watch the fireworks and water show at 9pm and get back to the car. It's a really good way of hopping around the place, despite being booked into one park in the morning.
If you pull up to the gate at a park you're not booked in at, even if you have a two week pass, you'll be turned away and asked to go to the park you initially booked to go into that morning. If you haven't booked to go into any park that day, then you won't be spending your time at Disney World, because they just won't let you in - important to remember!
You should also plan your day properly. For example, EPCOT has a lot of food and drink festivals on throughout the year, so if you're going to that park, then be sure to wait and eat lunch at one of the quick service places rather than visit the restaurants and cafes situated around the place. They serve some delicious food and it's a chance for you to try multiple cuisines.
There might also be a ride that you desperately want to go on that you simply cannot go home without experiencing. Let's say you want to go on Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios. This ride always has incredibly long wait times, so what you can do is pay for a fast pass, where you essentially skip the queue and don't have to wait in line for over an hour.
Or, if you want to save some money, you should plan to be at the park pretty much when it opens and then head straight over there first. Usually, the lines at that time aren't too long so you'll more than likely get to give the ride a go!
Bring your own snacks & bottled water
I cannot stress this enough because, where the food is quite reasonably priced, the drinks are not. Even a bottle of water could set you back as much as $5. We went to Publix (a Floridian supermarket chain) and bought a multi-pack of 500ml bottles of water to take with us and believe me, it was SO worth it. I dread to think how much we would have spent if we didn't bring in our own water.
The food is a good price if you're looking to eat a full meal, like lunch or dinner, but the snacks are quite expensive, with a pastry or even a small sandwich setting you back about $7. We bought some snacks from, again, Publix and brought those into the parks with us. It was great for if you felt a bit peckish but not hungry enough to splash out on a large dish - means more money for merch :)
Get there early
I'm not saying you should get there at the crack of dawn, hours before the park even opens, but you should get there either just before it opens or exactly when it opens. This is called 'The Rope Drop', when visitors are finally able to set foot into the park.
Not only will getting there early mean you'll be able to ride your favourite rides with shorter wait times, but it also means you get an excellent parking spot. The car park is vast, so much so there's often a little "bus" that'll take you from the zone you're in almost right up to the park gates. But take note; these aren't always running.
We found these little buses to be very hit and miss, with some taking you to the park in the morning but you having to walk back at night. Mitigate this by getting there as early as you can and grabbing that perfect parking space. Also, getting there early means you can take some stunning pictures when not as many people are around!
Take advantage of the free Disney Photo Pass
Disney World have scrapped the idea of visitors paying for their professionally-taken photographs. Instead, a trained Cast Member will take them for you and they'll then scan your ticket. This allows the photo to be directly transferred to your Disney app. You'll be able to then view all of your pictures on there and download them for FREE using Memory Maker, which I believe is only available with UK tickets.
This also includes any that are taken during a ride. But be warned, you may not get all of the photos that are taken of you. Sometimes they come through and sometimes they don't - it's the luck of the draw. But the ones that do come out are amazing, especially if they're taken by one of their in-house photographers. The image below was taken in much the same way...
Watch the Magic Kingdom firework display on Main Street
We found that standing on Main Street in Magic Kingdom was the best place to stand to watch the firework display. Not only can you see the castle in its entirety, but you'll also see the projections that illuminate the shops along Main Street.
The whole thing is a sight to behold and it's even sweeter when standing away from the crowds rather than in and amongst them. It also makes for less cramped pictures and it's far cooler. The last thing you want to do in 30+ degrees Celsius is stand in a crowd of hot and sticky people. It also allows for a quicker, smoother and less-stressful exit onto the monorail and back to the car park.
Be sure to schedule in 'rest' days
Walking around the parks all day, every day can be incredibly tiring. Not to mention how sore your feet get at the end of a long day. Therefore, you must make sure you're scheduling in days where you do something else that's a little more slow-paced and relaxed.
We did a bit of shopping and stopped for a coffee and some lunch in a mall on one of our days off. Another day we went to the water park and then for a beautiful meal at Sebastian's Bistro in Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (read all about that here). There's loads you can do to simply chill out and recharge your batteries after a busy few days at Walt Disney World.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post! When are you off to Disney World? Have you been before? Let me know in the comments below and I'll see you again very soon with a brand new blog post for you all :)
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