Disney Tips You May Already Know...

This past weekend I took my lovely step-daughter, Melody to The Magic Kingdom and we had a fantastic time!  Having lived in Orlando for seven years, I've been to Disney many, many times, so I've learned a few things that have helped with the over all experience to make it a little bit more pleasant.  So here is my attempt at offering my two cents on how to get the most out of your Disney World experience...Some of this you probably already know but hey- maybe I can give a little insight to someone out there!  Here we go!

1. If at all possible, go in the off season.

Months like January, February, May (right before school lets out for summer), and September, are primo times to go to DW.  It is always crowded...just these times are less tired than others.  If you can avoid going in the heat of summer, by all means do so.

2. Get the Disney World Wait Times app for your smart phone if you can.

This app is great!  You can choose out of the four main parks and it will give you pretty accurate wait times to each attraction.  A must!  So helpful.  There are also great apps that have park maps and other cool Disney World features.

3. Get to your park of choice EARLY.  

And by early, I mean like at the park entrance a good half hour before they open. We arrived at the Magic Kingdom parking lot at about 8:00. We got a great parking spot.  Walked to get our tickets and then took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom gate.  We got there about 8:30.  Park opens at 9:00. There were a lot of people there, but it really wasn't that bad.  Also, about ten til 9:00, they actually did a little welcome show for us that included a count down to opening and a little fireworks! It was great!  Being some of the first people in the park gave us an opportunity to ride a whole lot of rides before lunch time.  It was great!

4. Master the art of the fast pass and time management.

Fast passes are wonderful and if you have the wait time app, you can look up which ride has the longest wait time, get a fast pass for that ride and then go do things with shorter wait times or see a show, eat lunch, meet Tinker Bell, get ice cream, etc. Then ride your ride and then get another fast pass.  Keep in mind you can only get one fast pass at a time.   Fast passes are located at kiosks at each ride entrance. Seems like a pretty obvious concept, but you never know... If you can take a little time to plan things out you can fit in so much more into your Disney day and not have to waste time waiting in line so long. :)

5. Don't rule out EPCOT. 

It seems like this park gets a bad rap from a lot of people before they've even visited.  Oh how mistaken they are! I love all of the Disney World parks, but this one is honestly my favorite.  It is a little bit more of a grown-up park, but there is a lot to with the kids as well.  There are several cool rides (including Soarin' and Test Track), great restaurants, and a lot of fun educational experiences for everyone. It is actually very romantic to stroll around the "World Showcase" especially at night.  Imagine walking around Paris and Italy with your love in the same evening!   The fireworks display is the best out of all the parks, too.  If you can, visit EPCOT during their "Flower and Garden Festival" in the spring or their "Food and Wine Festival" in the fall. Beautiful scenery, food and free concerts from some pretty big names!  We've seen the Beach Boys, Boys II Men, Chubby Checker, The Four Tops, Starship, and so many more!  You can go to the EPCOT website to find out the concert schedule.  If you are a Florida resident you can even get an EPCOT pass that is annual admission any day of the year after 4:00 pm. Last I checked it was around $200.  If you live locally, it is worth the investment, especially during festival seasons.  Christmas time at EPCOT is fabulous, too!

Hope this may help someone out there!  Feel free to ask away if you have any Disney World questions.  I'll do my best to give you a helpful answer!