55 Things To Know Before You Visit Disney World
45 – Be flexible
If you find a parade blocking your route, or your feet are killing you, or a massive downpour has just started, this is when you need to be flexible.
Make sure your touring plan has enough room in it that you can make a change on the fly.
And expect that you will not do all the things you planned. But in those adjustments you just might do something else that becomes your favorite experience of the whole trip.
46 – You can’t do everything
Speaking of expectations and flexibility, Disney World is huge and getting bigger every day. Even if you live in Orlando you will never experience all that Disney World has to offer.
Prioritize your Disney World plans for each day
Make a short list of priority plans and try to accomplish these goals. The rest is gravy. In my opinion, just being at Disney World is a tremendous experience, with all of the individual attractions simply adding more magic.
If weather or tired feet or anything else causes you to leave out something from your day, keep calm and start planning your return trip.
Straining the schedule by trying to squeeze in one last ride is definitely a blunder I’m guilty of. In fact, this is one of my top ten park touring mistakes. Click here to find out what else NOT to do.
47 – Try something new
Theme parks offer experiences beyond anything in daily life. Take advantage of this opportunity to practice taking a risk.
Whether it’s a roller coaster, a flight to Mars, or a visit to Morocco, give yourself permission to try something new.
48 – Try something old
While Disney is constantly rolling out new attractions with astonishing technology, nostalgia continues to feature prominently in all of the Disney World parks.
Especially in Magic Kingdom, there are many opportunities to experience the magic of Walt Disney’s imagination. Don’t overlook the attractions that started it all.
Rides like the Jungle Cruise, It’s A Small World, and Carousel of Progress reflect the work of Walt and the original Disneyland imagineers. Make the effort to take a trip back to their world.
49 – Don’t freak out
You heard me. Freaking out is a choice many adults make when they choose not to cope with the intensity of Disney World.
If you feel yourself starting to lose it, that is your cue to stop right now and settle down. Take a break, eat something, get a drink of water, or maybe go back to the hotel for a quiet nap. Don’t have a meltdown and ruin the day for all the innocent bystanders around you.
Prepare for meltdowns
Know that at some point you and everyone traveling with you will probably have a moment when they start to feel a freak-out coming on. Discuss this possibility before your trip. I suggest creating a silly codeword that you can say to each other if you feel a meltdown approaching. This will help diffuse the tension, and let your touring-mates know that you need a break.
The best way to avoid a meltdown is to have realistic expectations and make a plan that will hopefully avoid an overload. Make sure you do your homework (Tip #1!), and that everyone you travel with has a good idea about what they should expect too. (Tip #26)
50 – Ride single
One of my favorite theme park ride-hacks is the single-rider line. Four of Disney World’s top attractions – Expedition Everest; the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster; Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run; and Test Track – offer single-rider lines. Especially on Expedition Everest and Test Track, riding single can get you through the queue in just minutes.
If you want to ride single, ask a cast member at the ride’s entrance. They will direct you to the single-rider queue. You can go in the singles line with your friends so you’ll all be together until it’s time to ride, but you will be split up for the ride. (Singles are used to fill in the odd empty spaces on a ride when groups of 3 or 5 are loaded).
A word of caution about the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster’s singles line – this one tends to move very slowly, so it is often just as fast to use the ride’s standby line to get on the ride.
Here’s my post all about how to ride single.
Rider Switch for guests with kids
A variation on riding single is Disney’s Rider Switch service. Designed for parents traveling with small children, Rider Switch allows each parent to ride separately, with the second parent jumping directly onto the ride after the first is finished. Find out more about Disney’s Rider Switch here.
51 – Wash your hands
Assume that everything you touch was just handled by a germy three-year-old.
At Disney World, make sure to wash your hands frequently. And for in-between times, carry hand sanitizer in case you need it.
52 – Look for Hidden Mickeys
Hidden Mickeys are a special bit of Disney magic, and you can spot them everywhere at Disney World. Usually in the familiar three-circle form of Mickey Mouse’s head, Hidden Mickeys might be concealed in the pattern in your hotel’s carpet, a set of rocks placed just so in a fountain, or in a subtle modification to the artwork on an attraction.
Once you start looking for Hidden Mickeys, you will see them everywhere (even after you get home!). The book Hidden Mickeys, A Field Guide to Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets is a great primer on how to look for Hidden Mickeys, and where to find them.
Hidden Mickeys make a great way to pass the time when waiting in line at Disney World. Make a game of it and see who can find the most Mickeys each day.
Here’s my post and podcast episode all about Hidden Mickeys.
53 – Everything will take longer than you expect
At Disney World, you are not in control. Lines can be long, buses can drive very slowly, the monorail might have to stop because of weather – this is just a fact. Just because your plan says things will happen at a specific time does not make it so.
Build extra time into your plans
Always build in at least a few extra minutes for an activity. A lot of times you’ll be pleasantly surprised and everything will hum along. And when something slows your day down you’ll be ready because you know this can happen.
And don’t forget, even when it seems like you’re stuck doing “nothing”, you are still at Disney World, which is usually WAY more fun that whatever you’d be doing in that moment in the real world.
Do you need a touring plan at Disney World? Here are 7 questions to ask yourself.
54 – Look for Easter eggs
Hidden treasures at Disney World are referred to as “Easter Eggs”, and the Imagineers have placed them all over the parks. Hidden Mickeys are a good example of this (see Tip #52).
The internet is a great resource to learn about Disney World Easter Eggs and where to find them. Make a list of those that most intrigue you and go on a little Easter Egg hunt of your own when you visit.
55 – Go Informed
Check out my Go Informed: Build a Better Vacation podcast for hours of advice to help you have a fantastic experience in Orlando.
Click here to see all my Disney World related posts.
Heading to Universal Orlando? Start with these posts:
- 33 Things to Know Before You Visit Universal Orlando
- Adding a Visit to Universal to Your Disney World Trip
And have a magical vacation!
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More tips for your Orlando theme park vacation
- Christmas at Disney World
- Quick guide to Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane
- Complete Disney World Hotel Guide
- Complete Universal Orlando Hotel Guide
- Disney World walking distances and training tips
Get the basics in just 60 seconds with my theme park quick start guides, right here.
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