If you could give a Disney World first timer...

[JourneyofSelfImprovement]

One piece of advice, what would it be?

Plan.

Don’t spend all day in the parks, it’s exhausting.

We usually get to the parks early and then leave after lunch and relax by the pool - or the other way around, relax in the morning and spend the evening in the park.

If you are staying on Disney property, find a crowd calendar and decide where you’re going each day. Book you dining reservations 180 days out, and your fastpasses 60 days out. Planning really is essential, otherwise you’ll waste time in queues, when there is no need.

It's Orlando Time on FB has been a godsend

You cannot fit in everything - it is simply not possible.

Start by deciding what you MUST do and take it from there. Planning is key - I go at Christmas which is a busy time and with a mixture of planning and going with the flow get everything I want done

For disney you need mydisneyexperience (both really on laptop and app form) this is where you book in your fastpasses and dinner reservations.

Food is expensive - I pack a lot of snacks!

Check out the weather when you go - it varies over the years.

Join Itsorlandotime on facebook and thedibb website

Forget that it's Disney for a second and admit to yourself what kind of holiday you like. Because all the advice in the world to take a break won't work if you like to go big or go home, and the idea of rope drop to fireworks is sheer terror if you'd rather be by the pool all afternoon. If you set that expectation first, then you can filter everything else you read or watch to know which advice will suit you and which you're better ignoring.

(Also we are go big or go home and we go often and we still haven't done anywhere near everything there is to do. I have friends who have worked there for years or had annual passes for years and they haven't done it all either. Definitely can't do it all in one trip, so let that help manage expectations!)

is it worth just doing a day or two in the park? I quite fancy taking DS but the thought of going to the same place every day seems a bit mad.

Don’t take DC until they’re 7 or 8.

is it worth just doing a day or two in the park? I quite fancy taking DS but the thought of going to the same place every day seems a bit mad
Which park?! There are six theme parks at WDW, numerous shopping /leisure areas including Downtown Disney and about a gazillion different resorts. And even the theme parks themselves are way, way bigger than anything in the UK so I can't see how you could fit every single ride/attraction/show into one day. We spent best part of three days at Magic Kingdom and still didn't see everything - it is huuuuuge!

Comfy shoes - it's like military boot camp, huge area and so busy (though not as bad as Disneyland Paris which is a smaller area).
If you are traveling with younger kids consider renting a stroller - they have ones suitable for age 6 or so, so much ground to cover. Was a while back for us, so the reservation system is now online I believe, we stayed at the New Orleans themed hotel. Beware of very heavy downpours and thunderstorms!

I suppose I was thinking Magic Kingdom, DS will be nearly 5 when I was thinking of going.

Wait until he’s older or be prepared to go again. At Age 5 he likely won’t get on rides due to height restrictions.

@RiddleyW I’ve been to Disney 11 times now and still visit Magic Kingdom for at least 3 days. It’s impossible to appreciate just how much is there until you see it with your own eyes.

Also @2anddone parking is currently an eye watering $25 per day. I wonder how much they’ll put it up to once Star Wars land is open...

I suppose I was thinking Magic Kingdom, DS will be nearly 5 when I was thinking of going
It really is huge and you may well find he needs a stroller even at that age. Magic Kingdom is made up of lots of themed areas so you may just manage one or two a day. As others have said, with little ones it's often best just to do a morning in the park, then relax by the pool in the afternoon.

That’s not the case re rides @anxious62. There was only a couple of rides at MK that my 4 year old couldn’t go on this year.
However, I would definitely say that if it’s a once in a lifetime trip then leave it for another couple of years so they can fully appreciate it. 7/8 is a great age to go.

Disney height restrictions are short nothing is over 48 inches and there is a lot which has none

Have a dolewhip, it's pineapple/slush/ice cream/total joy. And a cinnamon bun from Gastons tavern.

If you have a pushchair you can pick somewhere to park it up, have a wander then grab it to walk to another zone. Frozen water bottles in a cooler are great if you have a pushchair but I wouldn't carry them all day. Put something on your pushchair to identify it as the 'cast members' (Disney staff) move them around a bit to keep the space ok.

Have so much fun!

$25 musicalstatues that's insane!! We last went in 2016 and I thought it was bad then!! We stayed onsite and went to the parks every day so will definitely stay onsite again as will 'save' over $300 in parking fees!!
We want to go back in 2020 as it will give a chance for some of the new bits to open, however not interested in Star Wars so hoping that when we visit Hollywood Studios everyone will be in that land

Assuming we're talking about the Florida parks, as others have said, preparation is key.

Plan plan and plan some more before you go. Know the dates you need to book things. Use the crowd calendars to plan park days. Investigate the rides you definitely want to do. Use the app and the website to keep everything planned and sorted.

The more planning you do beforehand the easier and smoother your park days will be.

We've been around 10 times over the past 14 years and the way the parks work these days really do benefit from advance prep.

Get Memory Maker - its worth its weight in gold for the amount of photos you can get. We were slightly sceptical last year, but DD2 is the Disney expert and since we got it in our ticket price (check attraction tickets for good prices) we bought the magic bands and they were the easiest thing in the world. Put them on and forget about them.

We prefer to stay off site. We allow DD to book our fast passes (for we are old and she is young and understands technology), we go to the parks in the morning, and when we have had enough, we go back to the villa and jump in the pool. When we were there last year, DD (who is 23) was happy enough to stay for longer and I would go to collect her when she was done. It is busy and tiring, but great fun.

You can fit everything in if you plan with military precision.

List all the rides you want to go on and prioritise fast passes.

Go in a quiet season- May/June or Sept- Nov.

Sarahandduck18 I disagree you cannot fit EVERYTHING in. You can fit the majority of rides in but for first timers in two weeks you cant. And trying too is just going to stress you out. I have been many times and there are still experiences I have not done (and try to fit in).

But I do agree with listing what you want to go on and getting fast passes and planning it with military precision

No way can you fit everything in. You could in an empty theme park but add in queues and crowds and no. The 2 water parks are a day each. Animal kingdom a day, epcot I don't bother with, studios a day, magic kingdom 2-3 days. Add in Disney springs and that's a week already before you've spent an afternoon at the hotel pool.

epcot I don't bother with
Epcot is my favourite! Pootling around the countries, eating some lovely food, great shows and then fantastic rides over the other side - what's not to like? The Short Film Festival remains one of my top picks at WDW, I think it's a hidden gem.

Epcot is my childrens favourite DD favourite ride since she was 3 has been Spaceship Earth - we have to go on it at least 5 or 6 times each visit.

It also has some hidden gems in the world showcase - agent P, around the world activities etc

Hollywood Studios has suffered recently with the park being closed off but with Toy Story Land opening and at some point Star Wars it will be very different.

Animal Kingdom is definitely my favourite at the moment though

What I dont bother with is the water parks - they are not all that in my opinion Siam Park is much better but I am not a water park girl