Disney World First Time Visitor Tips
Are you considering a Walt Disney World trip? Or perhaps you've already booked and are looking for some tips.
Planning where to stay, which restaurants to dine at, how to navigate the parks, and making all the necessary bookings can sometimes feel a little daunting, especially on your first visit.
So, I've put together this list of tips and information to guide you through, in the hope it helps you have a magical time.
Planning
1. Research and prioritise
Planning and research are key. Before you begin, it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the overall layout of Walt Disney World. This will help you understand how vast the area is, and what it encompasses.
It'll also become apparent that you won't be able to see and do everything. So check for any attractions undergoing refurbishments during your trip, then prioritise the rest.
To help you plan, you'll also need to choose which of the hundreds of restaurants you wish to dine at. As well as any characters you'd like to meet, and which parks you can find them in.
Disney World also has 2 water parks, plus Disney Springs and Disney's Boardwalk, which you may like to visit. So these will also need factoring in to your plans.
2. Visit all 4 parks
Many people, when they think of Walt Disney World, immediately conjure up images of Magic Kingdom with the iconic Cinderella Castle.
Although Magic Kingdom remains the most popular park, there are 3 others available. Each has its own fabulous attractions, exciting entertainment, and wonderful eateries. For us, they all have their own merits, and we enjoy them for different reasons:
Epcot is our favourite park to eat in, thanks to a great choice of restaurants in World Showcase.
Hollywood Studios has recently undergone a huge overhaul, and is now home to Toy Story Land, plus the amazing Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
Animal Kingdom is the top choice for one of our teenagers as he loves the atmosphere and attractions here.
I would therefore suggest you plan a visit to each of the parks during your first Walt Disney World trip. Ideally these should be at different times of the day so you can experience the nighttime entertainment too.
Discover more information about each of the 4 main parks, below:
3. Make Restaurant Reservations.
Table Service Restaurant reservations can be made 60 days in advance, and the most popular ones often book up within hours. Therefore, I recommend choosing your preferred dining locations in plenty of time, so you're ready to begin booking as soon as your window opens.
This may seem very structured, especially when you're supposed to be relaxing and forgetting about schedules. But believe me, this will save you so much time and potential disappointment once you're in the parks.
I've put together some more information to help you secure restaurant reservations below:
4. Set up a MyDisneyExperience Account and download the App
As a first time visitor, you'll need to set up a MyDisneyExperience Account via the Disney World website.
This will enable you to secure bookings, view your daily reservations, and make any adjustments if your plans change during your trip. Park tickets must also be linked to your account.
All this can also be done via the My Disney Experience App, which I encourage you to download for ease.
5. Stay On-site
If its within your budget, I recommend staying on-site in one of the Disney hotels, at least for part of your trip.
Disney Resort guests are entitled to a number of benefits, which are even more advantageous to first time visitors who may be unfamiliar with the system.
Being able to book up to 10 days worth of restaurant reservations 60 days prior to your trip, gives you a better chance of securing those at the top of your list.
Plus, you are then entitled to Early Entry in the parks. This is when the parks open 30 minutes earlier for Resort Guests, so you can familiarise yourself with a slighlty quieter park before the crowds descend.
Deluxe Hotel guests also benefit from 2 hours of Extended Evenings on certain days at Magic Kingdom and Epcot. These provide an even better opportunity to experience less crowded parks.
To help reduce the cost, keep an eye out for Free Dining offers, or discounted room rates.
6. Learn how to avoid the crowds
Crowds are an inevitable part of a Walt Disney World trip. However, there are a few ways reduce the amount of time you spend standing in lines.
My top tip for enjoying a less crowded park is to arrive for rope-drop (or Early Entry if staying at a Disney Resort Hotel). Many people are reluctant to get up early on holiday, so if you arrive before park opening, you'll avoid the worst of the crowds.
Alternatively, plan to be in the park up to closing time. With 2 teenagers, this is our preferred method now. Many evenings we've walked straight on to attractions which have reported queue times of over an hour during the day.
There's more information on my How to Choose the Least Crowded Park blog post here:
Hint: if you plan to arrive for rope-drop, you'll need to be at the entrance at least 30-45 minutes before the scheduled opening time. Although attractions won't be running, you'll still be allowed into the parks to make your way over to your first ride. If travelling by car, make sure you also factor in getting to the park entrance from the car park. At Magic Kingdom this involves catching the monorail or ferry. You'll also need to make your way through security bag-check, and the turnstiles. All of which can take a further 30-45 minutes, depending on crowd levels.
To avoid the crowds at meal times, consider scheduling an early or late lunch and/or dinner, especially when dining at Counter Service Restaurants. Peak times tend to be between 12-2pm, and 5-7pm.
Prepare yourself
There's no point putting all that effort in to planning the ultimate trip if you're going to fall at the first hurdle, so know what you're up against.
A trip to Disney World involves a significant amount of walking in Florida's tropical climate. This means it can be extremely hot, with energy sapping humidity levels, and torrential rain - often all on the same day. The trick is to be prepared:
1. Wear the correct clothing and footwear
Lightweight, quick dry clothing and footwear is ideal for Florida's climate. It will help keep you cool, and you can dry off more easily if you get caught in a rainstorm. During the cooler winter months, you may need a light jacket for the evenings.
We've discovered ponchos are the best way to stay (almost) dry if the rain hits, and pocket sized ones are perfect for taking along to the parks. Some of the rainstorms in Florida can quickly catch you out, and are ridiculously heavy. If you get completely drenched, it can make for an uncomfortable rest of the day, especially in air-conditioned restaurants and attractions.
With all the walking involved, wearing the correct footwear is extremely important. Shoes should be comfortable, breathable, quick drying, and have been worn in prior to your trip. You really don't want a blister on your first day.
2. Stay hydrated
Seems an obvious one, but with the all that heat and exercise, it's amazing how quickly you become dehydrated. My advice: drink regularly, and keep up those energy levels with plenty of snacks and meals.
To help maintain fluid levels, there are a number of water stations dotted around the parks offering free iced water. Many are located in Counter Service restaurants, especially Starbucks. Alternatively, Counter Service restaurants will provide you with a complimentary cup of water if you ask at the counter.
3. Take breaks and be prepared to change your plans.
The Walt Disney World parks open early and close late. Arriving for Rope Drop and staying until close is hard to maintain throughout your whole trip, especially if you have youngsters in your travelling group.
Therefore, I recommend taking breaks from the parks on a regular basis. Follow a late night with a morning around the pool, then head to the parks for the afternoon or evening. Or, schedule a few hours rest in the middle of the day if you wish to rope-drop the parks.
Even with breaks, most people hit the fatigue wall at some point. So be prepared to change plans and have a less active day instead.
During our first trip, our then 6 year old was just as happy (if not happier) splashing around in the hotel pool, rather than on the rides. We ended up spending more time at the resort than anticipated, but still had a fantastic time. Plus it meant we weren't dragging exhausted children around the parks.
Create some extra magic
There are many little extras which can hugely impact your Disney World trip. We discovered some on our first visit, and they became a great way for the children to interact with Characters and Cast Members, helping create some fabulous memories.
1. Pick up a First Visit Badge/Button
A fun way to mark your first visit is to wear one of the First Visit Badges/Buttons. These are available from your Disney Resort check-in desk, or from Guest Services in the parks. Many Cast Members will make reference to them, and you may even discover some extra Disney Magic comes your way as a result.
If you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion, there are a variety of other designs to choose from too.
2. Trade Pins with Cast Members
Pin Trading is big business in Disney World. Some Cast Members wear lanyards or pouches adorned with Disney Pins, which are available for trading. This is the perfect way to interact with these wonderful people who help make your trip that little bit more special.
To start you off, I advise purchasing one of the starter sets available from various Disney outlets. These consist of a lanyard, plus a small number of pins. You can can keep those you like, then trade the rest with Cast Members.
Certain Disney outlets will also have boards behind the counter with pins available for trading. So keep an eye out for these too.
3. Meet the Characters
Another great way for kids of all ages to interact is with the large number of Disney Characters you'll find in the parks, restaurants, and sometimes the hotels.
The Walt Disney World website has a list of the various characters and where you have your best chance of meeting your favourite.
All characters will pose for photographs, and the majority will also sign autographs. This is something our kids enjoyed collecting on our first visit, so they came away with a small token of their various encounters. If you fancy doing the same, autograph books and pens are available to purchase at a number of shops in the parks.
4. Try everything you can at least once
With so many conflicting reviews out there surrounding the various Disney restaurants, attractions, and resorts, it can become difficult to choose. My advice would be to try as much as possible.
Despite it only receiving mediocre reviews, one of our favourite meals has been at Tony's Town Square Restaurant in Magic Kingdom. We loved the themeing, the service was fabulous, and we deemed the food pretty good too.
When opting to eat at Sci-Fi Restaurant in Hollywood Studios, due to positive write ups, we were all unimpressed with the whole experience.
Similarly, just because an attraction has a short queue, or plenty of Genie+ availability, it doesn't mean it isn't any good. We love Mickey's PhilharMagic in Magic Kingdom, which also provides a welcome sit down in an air-conditioned theatre. However, we don't get the hype surrounding Jungle Cruise, which remains one of the most popular attractions with consistently long queues.
So my final Disney World first time visitor tip would be to make up your own mind by trying things for yourself. You never know when and where you'll discover your own piece of Disney Magic.
And with the right amount of research, planning, pre-booking and preparation, plus knowing where to find some of the extras, your first trip to Walt Disney World could be one of the best.
Check out the Disney section of the blog for a whole host of Walt Disney World information, tips and reviews.
