If you’ve never been to a Walt Disney World park before and you’re planning your first visit, then you’re in for a treat! Disney World has four theme parks, two water parks, a shopping, and dining district, dozens of themed resorts, and hundreds (yes, HUNDREDS) of restaurants.
We’ve been to Disney World a few times (ok, ok, more than a few…) and we have some tips to help you tackle the challenge of planning your first Disney trip.
NOTE: This post will cover some of the most basic planning information. There are several articles linked throughout this post that will help you grow your understanding of the topics discussed, so we recommend you check those out once you read this list!
So, let’s dig into a little bit of an introduction.
First of all, Disney World is BIG — probably much bigger than you realize. The whole Walt Disney World Resort is made up of more than 25 resort hotels, four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs shopping and dining district, and so much more. The entire property is the size of the city of San Francisco. (That’s 40 square miles!)
Magic Kingdom is Disney World’s first park, very similar to the original Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. Magic Kingdom is home to Cinderella Castle and six themed lands: Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street, U.S.A..
Disney’s second park is EPCOT, which originally stood for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It’s divided into two parts, World Showcase and Future World, but it’s currently undergoing a massive transformation that will change the layout of the park. World Showcase has 11 themed pavilions dedicated to different countries from around the world, with shopping, dining, and attractions themed to that country’s culture. Future World has a variety of rides and attractions and will be changing drastically during the transformation.
The third theme park is Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which takes you both to old Hollywood and into your favorite films and shows. Many people get this park confused with Universal Studios (where Harry Potter is), but they’re not the same! Most of the park here is themed to old Hollywood, with places like Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. You’ll also find Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge here, which have drawn big crowds to this park!
The fourth park at Disney World is Disney’s Animal Kingdom! The various lands of this park are focused on nature and animals; the park’s landmark attraction is Kilimanjaro Safaris, where guests can spot all kinds of species roaming a replica African savanna! The theming in this park is very detailed, and it’s somewhat of a cross between a theme park and a zoo. (But, like, a really cool zoo!)
Disney Springs is Disney World’s shopping and dining complex, where guests will find dozens of restaurants and brand-name stores. You could spend a whole day at Disney Springs itself if you want to see everything, but this would also be a great place to visit on your arrival or departure day.
Disney World also has two water parks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.
Time of Year
Traveling during less busy times of the year can make a HUGE difference in your Disney World vacation. It’ll help you avoid big crowds and long wait times. In general, Walt Disney World tends to be most crowded during the Spring Break season, any long holiday weekend, Thanksgiving week, the weeks of Christmas break, and the summer months. Basically, any time students are out of school.
When picking your dates, make sure to check and see if any events are happening. Look for festivals at EPCOT, holiday celebrations, and any ride opening dates. Visiting during an EPCOT festival is something that many guests enjoy, but if you show up at a park on the day of a ride’s grand opening, you may be in for some shockingly large crowds.
You may also want to keep the weather in mind when you’re planning your visit. Keep an eye on the hurricane season (cuz that happens in Florida), and the summer heat is not to be underestimated. So do your research and know if you prefer touring the Disney parks in the heat and humidity of the summer or are looking for more of a chill experience in the winter months (see what we did there?).
Resort
Disney’s Resort hotels come in a few categories: Deluxe, Moderate, and Value. Individual resorts are separated into those categories based on price, so Deluxe Resorts often have more amenities or are closer to the theme parks. (Sometimes even walking distance!) Guests can also choose to stay at Disney Vacation Club properties (great if you want a kitchen/kitchenette) or at Disney’s campground, Fort Wilderness.
Each of the Disney Resorts have food options for their guests. The Deluxe Resorts will have Table Service restaurants as well as Quick Service, while the Value Resorts are limited to food court-style dining.
It’s important to note the location of your resort when booking. They are spread out all over the property, and the time it takes to travel to each theme park varies wildly by Resort hotel. If you’re interested in visiting certain parks more often than others, then you’ll likely want to choose a resort nearby.
Park Tickets & Park Passes
You’ll need park tickets to get into the Disney Parks. You can purchase one-park tickets, that allows you to access one park per day. There is also a Park Hopper option, which allows the owner to visit more than one park on the same day, even up to all four parks, if you’re up to the challenge!
If you’re planning on purchasing a Park Hopper ticket, there are a few things to note. Everything is based on availability, so if a park is at capacity, you won’t be able to “hop” to it. (There’s a phone number you can call to check availability.) You must make a Disney Park Pass reservation for your first park of the day and scan into that park before heading to your second. You also won’t be able to park hop outside of the Park Hopping hours listed on the Disney World website, which means you’ll have to wait until 2PM to visit your second park.
Just having a park ticket isn’t enough to get into your park of choice for the day. Ever since the Disney World parks reopened in July 2020, they’ve been operating with a theme park reservation system, Disney Park Pass. This system is how Disney is currently limiting capacity in their parks, and you’ll need to make a reservation if you want to be let in the gates. (You can’t just waltz in with your ticket anymore!) As soon as you know your travel dates, decide on your parks for each day and make your reservations online. If you don’t, the park you want may fill up!
Disney Technology & Assistance
To start your planning, you’ll need to make an account on the Disney World website. This website will be essential to your planning, as it’s where you’ll book your resort, tickets, make your park and dining reservations, and learn more about the various offerings of Walt Disney World.
After you make your Disney account, you’ll want to download the My Disney Experience app to your smartphone. The app can do a lot of the same things that the website does, but you’ll also be able to use the app in the park to check wait times, look at park maps, mobile order your food, and much more. You DEFINITELY want to become familiar with the features of this app before you leave for your vacation!
This app, also known as the Disney World app, is the way that guests can view ride wait times, Mobile Order their food, check out park maps, and search for all kinds of important information. It’s a lifesaver, and these days, it’s nearly a necessity for your visit!
Disney Genie+ was rolled out right along with the 50th Anniversary Celebration and has been a hot topic ever since. Genie+ is a paid service that works similarly to FastPass+, allowing guests to choose return times for select attractions and bypass the standby line. But, certain rides are available as Individual Attraction Selections, meaning instead of paying one price to skip multiple lines, you’ll have to pay one price for just one ride.
If that’s not exclusive enough for you, there is the option to pay for a VIP tour. On these tours, a Cast Member guides your family through the park, allowing you to learn more behind-the-scenes info about Disney World and skip the lines on some of your favorite rides. Be warned, though, that these tours cost hundreds of dollars an hour and must be booked for at least 7 consecutive hours, so they’re definitely not for everyone.
If you’re a family with children who don’t quite meet the height requirement for all the rides, don’t worry, the adults don’t have to miss out! Disney’s Rider Switch system allows one adult to wait with the child while the other members of the party experience the ride. Once the first group is done, the adult who waited will be allowed to board the ride without waiting in the standby line, since the rest of the party has already waited.
Disney’s Disability Access Service (DAS) is one of the many ways Disney helps make its parks more accessible! For this service, anyone with a disability or condition that hinders their ability to wait in line for rides. This includes “visible” disabilities like being unable to walk or stand for prolonged periods of time; “invisible” disabilities such as Autism and ADHD that make waiting in line a significant challenge; and conditions like fatigue, cancer, or any other medical situation that hinders an individual’s ability to wait in line.
To make use of DAS, guests need to go to the attraction’s entrance and speak to a Cast Member. They’ll be given a “return time” for the attraction that factors in the current wait time of the ride. This works similarly to Lightning Lanes: you can return any time after your return time and get right on the ride. Essentially, DAS users are still waiting for the ride, but they’re able to do so away from the line and in a way that works for them.
Everything You Need to Know About DAS at Walt Disney World
Rides & Attractions
In recent years, Disney has implemented a Virtual Queue for the newest attractions. Disney’s most popular attractions won’t be accessible through a traditional standby line, and the only way to ride is to get a virtual boarding pass or to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane. There are a lot of technicalities to this that you’ll want to research in advance, so click here to learn more!
Many rides at Disney World have height requirements for guests’ safety. If your child is too small to ride, then you can always try the Rider Switch system, where one adult rides while the other waits with the non-riders, then the adult that sat out gets to board the attraction without waiting (since the first group already waited).
Wait times get the longest in the middle of the day at the parks. If you want to avoid the long lines, the best times to visit the popular attractions are first thing in the morning or last thing in the evening. (Pro Tip: You can get in line for rides up until the minute that park closes.) When the lines get longer in the middle of the day, that’s a good time to visit the less popular attractions or shows that usually have shorter wait times throughout the day.
Step-by-Step Guide to Using the TRON Virtual Queue in Disney World
Dining Options
When there are so many rides and activities to enjoy, people often put food on the back burner, figuring they’ll just “eat whatever” in the parks. If you do that, you may end up spending too much money on less-than-exciting snacks and meals. There are actually some truly spectacular dining options out there, and skimming some online reviews ahead of time will help steer you in the right direction. Some of the most popular and iconic dining experiences can book up 60-days in advance, so you’ll need to plan to make Advanced Dining Reservations for those can’t-miss meals.
Just because it’s a theme park doesn’t mean that your only options are hot dogs and hamburgers. Those options are available, but you can find some really unique eats at table service restaurants. If you want to dine at a sit-down place, make some reservations in advance, and if you plan to eat at Quick Service locations, familiarize yourself with Disney’s Mobile Order system.
For those who are big fans of Disney characters, you may want to consider booking a character meal. During these meals, various Disney friends will walk by your table and greet you and your family.
Airport Transportation/Getting Around Disney World
Arriving by plane at Orlando International Airport (MCO) for your Walt Disney World vacation is an iconic experience. From the short “monorail” (okay, the airport calls it a shuttle) ride from the gate to ticketing, baggage, and transportation, to the endless miles of teal carpet, there’s nothing quite like landing at MCO.
But like booking your air travel, you’ll want to plan your transportation from the airport to your resort in advance. Research your options — you can plan to rent a car, book one of the airport shuttle options like Mears Connect or Sunshine Flyer, reserve a rideshare, or even rent a limo or private car service.
How to Choose the BEST Disney’s Magical Express Replacement
Disney has plenty of free transportation options to help guests get around the property! These various options can be used whether or not you’re staying onsite.
Disney buses are the most common form of transportation, and they’re also the most widespread. With Disney’s bus system, you’ll be able to travel to and from the parks, resorts, and Disney Springs.
The Disney Skyliner is the newest form of transportation. It’s a gondola-style system that offers great views of the resort but isn’t the best for those with a fear of heights. It travels between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with lines that extend to Disney’s Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century, and Art of Animation Resorts.
Disney’s Monorail is perhaps the most famous method of transportation. It travels from the Magic Kingdom parking area (located at the Transportation & Ticket Center) to Magic Kingdom Park. A second line travels between these two locations with stops in-between at Disney’s Contemporary, Grand Floridian, and Polynesian Resorts. There is also a line that travels between the TTC and EPCOT.
Friendship Boats travel between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, with stops along the way at Disney’s Yacht Club, Beach Club, BoardWalk, Swan, and Dolphin Resorts. The boat ride isn’t Disney’s fastest mode of transportation, but it’s certainly relaxing!
When visiting Disney World, make sure you factor in time for transportation! For instance, if taking a bus to a theme park, you’ll walk to the bus stop, wait for it to arrive, board, travel, unload, and then go through the process of getting in the park. We recommend budgeting an hour to travel around the property, even when driving your own vehicle.
What to Pack
We’re in the parks every day, every season, rain or shine, so we know what you’ll to wear, bring, and have handy to help you have a fantastic Disney trip. Of course, you’ll need to pack an outfit for each day in the parks, supportive and broken-in shoes, your bathing suits, toothbrush, and plenty of socks. But there’s more to it than just the basics.
Since a Disney trip isn’t like every other vacation, there are a few more items that you’ll want to have handy on this trip you might not think to pack for another. So we’ve broken it all down for you here!
Setting Expectations
How Much You’ll Walk
Did we mention that Disney World is big? Well, it is! Many first-time visitors to Disney World don’t realize just how many steps you’ll walk in a day. On a full day in the parks, 20,000 steps are pretty standard. Because of this, we advise frequent breaks and wearing comfortable shoes that are well broken in. We also suggest starting a little walking regimen at home to build up that stamina (especially if you drive a desk for a living).
How Much You’ll See/Do
Disney World is massive — the size of San Francisco — so you likely won’t get to do everything during your vacation. There are dozens of attractions, rides, and shows across the four theme parks, not to mention a ton of other things to do, see, and eat. If you don’t get everything done, it’s okay. Just focus on a few really important things, and prioritize those.
Make sure to check out the park maps online or in the My Disney Experience app before you visit. This will help you get a layout of the parks in your mind and plan out your day so that you aren’t zigzagging back and forth. Take note of all the rides and attractions, and decide which ones you’d like to experience most!
How Much You’ll Need Your Phone
Since you’ll be using the My Disney Experience app for several aspects of your vacation, you’ll want to make sure that your phone is well-charged. While there are some places around the parks to stop and plug in, you won’t want to waste precious time tethered to a wall by a phone charging cord. A portable battery pack and charging cord will be incredibly helpful.
Preparing for the Weather
Florida weather may not be what you expect during your trip, so make sure to check it ahead of time. And even after that, make sure to pack for a variety of climates, considering the weather could change rapidly. Most of the year, you’ll need to bring some kind of rain gear, and in the winter, it’ll be helpful to wear layers. Even if rain jackets and umbrellas don’t fit in the suitcase, pick up a few ponchos from a big box store or dollar store, and toss them in your backpack. You’ll be glad to have them when you see guests forking over $12 (or more!) for a Disney poncho.
And if you’re visiting in the summer — it gets hot! Becoming dehydrated is a big problem in the parks. When you’re running around to different rides and checking off everything on your list, it’s easy to get distracted and forget about drinking water. You’ll find free cups of ice water at Disney’s Quick Service restaurants and bottle refill stations all around the resort. We recommend bringing your own bottle so that you don’t have to pay $5 for one at a snack stand!
How to Plan
Ok, it’s a shameless plug, but it’s still a great tip for first-timers! We post tips every day to help guests like you make the most of your vacation! We understand that you only have a certain amount of vacation time and vacation dollars, and when you have a family, you only get that “summer after 3rd grade” once — no do-overs. So sign up for our newsletter, visit our website, and watch our videos to become a Disney pro and have the Disney trip like a master!
No matter what you decide to do or which park you decide to visit, you can have a great day if you just relax and enjoy the ride!
50 Things You Need to Know When Planning Your First Walt Disney World Trip!
What other tips do first-time Disney visitors need? Share your tips in the comments below!
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