Everyone can use a good tip or two, right? I’m always eager to hear some new Disney World Tips; and so today, I thought I would share a few of my favorite tips that I’ve gathered from my trips to Walt Disney World. Enjoy!
10. Water Shoes-If you’re planning on visiting Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, water shoes are a must! The pavement is usually blistering hot and can be very painful when going from one slide to another or waiting your turn in line. For a more enjoyable experience, definitely invest in some water shoes.
9. Always ride Peter Pan’s Flight, Toy Story Midway Mania, Test Track, and Soarin’ Early-If you want a chance to ride these popular attractions without waiting a long, long time, head to these attractions first thing in the morning, preferably right after the park opens. If you can, grab a FastPass too so you can enjoy them again later.
8. Meet Lilo and Stitch at Typhoon Lagoon-Did you know that there are some characters you can meet at the water parks? At Typhoon Lagoon, you can meet up with Lilo and Stitch and there’s rarely ever a long line.
7. The Magic of Disney Animation-This attraction is located at the rear of the Animation Courtyard and offers a cute show about Disney animation. The really great part comes after the show, where you enter a large indoor area to play interactive games, take a great art class, and check out several character meet and greets at your own pace! This area is air conditioned, indoors, and also offers quite a bit of seating. It’s a great place to escape the rain, to rest, and to let kids run free. If you don’t want to see the show, just enter through the door at the back of the attached art store.
6. Liberty Tree Tavern Décor-One of our favorite Magic Kingdom restaurants is Liberty Tree Tavern, a colonial style restaurant that serves up hearty, American dishes such as the Pilgrim’s Platter and their famous Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake! Many guests don’t realize that each room of the restaurant is themed after an early American hero, such as John Paul Jones, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, and more. It’s fun to try to figure out which room you are seated in, as well as expose the kids to a little history lesson in a fun way!
5. Use the International Gateway-Found between the France and United Kingdom pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase is the International Gateway, a small entrance/exit to the park. Once you pass through this gateway, you can board a small ferry boat, or take a walking path, and visit the Yacht and Beach Club, the Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin, and then Hollywood Studios. This extra gateway can save you some transportation time, as well as provide easy access to the Epcot Resorts and the entertaining Boardwalk.
4. Use the Quiet Pools-Most Disney Resorts have a quiet pool in addition to their main pool. Since most guests, and especially kids, head towards the main, themed pools, you can often have a pool to yourself with this alternative option. Value Resorts don’t offer quiet pools, but they typically have more than one. I suggest heading towards the smaller pools to avoid crowds, such as the Bowling Pin pool at Pop Century or the Little Mermaid pool at the Art of Animation.
3. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Night-One of my favorite ways to enjoy Wishes is while riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The lofty view is amazing and makes you feel closer to the colorful display; and if that’s not all, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad feels faster and is like a different experience at night. Trust me, you won’t forget this wildest ride in the wilderness under the fireworks!
2. Do the Opposite of Extra Magic Hours-Do you usually take advantage of extra magic hours? While they’re great in some ways, it can be a good idea to skip them and visit that park the next day. For example, if the Magic Kingdom has extra magic hours on Monday, go somewhere else that night and then go to the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday. Why? Crowds tend to flock to the park with the extra hours. Therefore, if you go on Tuesday, the crowd levels should be low because everyone was there the night before!
1. Movie Under the Stars-Most Disney Resorts offer this great experience, a Disney movie outdoors on the resort grounds! Your resort will have this experience listed in their schedule and will set up a large screen either on the beach or in a open area. Bring a beach blanket, some snacks, and relax! The best part? This experience is free!
Do you have any Disney World tips to share?
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Do the little things. Ride the monorail, just because. Take it slow down Main Street and appreciate the architecture. Play in the dancing fountains at EPCOT (a great way to cool off, but be prepared for wet shoes and clothes). Grab a Disney treat (Mickey Ice Cream bar, Turkey Leg, etc.). Experience Rope Drop at least once (especially if you have kids. I literally got teary eyed the last time we did this because my little ones were just so happy and excited.). And, (if everyone in your party can do it) stay until the park closes. The Magic Kingdom has a way of turning out the lights and saying goodnight that just seems perfect.
Don’t wear sneakers in the parks. They get wet from either a water ride or the almost guaranteed daily shower and then you have to walk around in wet sneakers the rest of the day. Find a comfortable pair of water shoes like Keens. I love mine. I can wear them all day all week and no discomfort. Crocs are even better than sneakers.
Another budget idea is a way to save 5% or even 10% on your entire trip. If you sign up for a Target Red Card-either credit or debit card you get a 5% discount on your purchases. If you have your prescriptions filled at Target pharmacy and sign up for their loyalty program (can’t remember the name of it.) in the pharmacy, after 5 RXs have been filled they will send you a coupon for 5% off an entire day’s purchases. You can combine this with your Red Card payment discount so your net discount comes out to 9.75%! ( they take the 5% coupon off first, then when you pay with the Red card you get 5% off of that-so not exactly 10%).
OK, are you still with me? They sell DISNEY GIFT CARDS at Target. These are considered “entertainment cards” and are not exempted from the discount like a regular Target Gift Card would be. I bought $3000 worth of Disney Gift Cards and saved almost $300! I used these to upgrade one day passes we had leftover from a Free Dining deal to Annual Passes. You can use these gift cards anywhere in WDW, even to pay for your hotel room or package-even over the phone. They only come in $50 amounts, so paying large sums can take a little while, but it can be done.
Stick to the budget! Don’t add credit cards woes to the post-Disney depression we all seem to experience at some level. It’s not about who can do the most expensive things, like BBB and CRT. It’s. about making the best memories. My favorite memories are of spending time together having fun – EMHs at MK when we could be silly because we had the place to ourselves. Watching the kids just enjoy being there, Trick or Treating at MK, visiting the butterfly garden at EPCOT, people-watching at DTD while eating a Ghiradelli ice cream. Sometimes people get caught up in conspicuous consumption and forget that Disney is all about the magic.
I can bear testament to the swim shoe tip.
My family always wear swim shoes in the water parks, but some rides/slides do not allow them,
While in Typhoon Lagoon I was queueing for a water slide, It was a long way to the top of the line, not crowded just a long way, It involved crossing a lovely wooden effect bridge,
I left my shoes at the bottom of the water slide and climbed to the start. I went to cross the bridge and found out to my expense that wood effect is scorching hot. I badly burned the sole of my foot.
It required medical attention and seriously hindered me for over a week as I suffered with every step I took. LESSON LEARNED.