Background
We love Disney Parks. Carter has been to 3 of 4 Disney World Parks in Florida, Disneyland in California, Tokyo DisneySea, and we are hoping to add Disneyland Paris soon. Below are some general tips and our favorite highlights of each park. We are usually there from opening to closing squeezing the most fun out of everyone we can get. We often try to save money on trips by using points and miles on our flights and hotels and by doing 1-day single park trips instead of multi-day park hopper tickets. If you need tips on how to get to Orlando and where to stay, see this post here.
General Tips
Research: As early as possible, start researching your plans and have a rough idea of what your priorities for the day will be. Sites such as WDW news, Undercover Tourist, Disney Tourist, and the official park website will give you an idea of what the top rides are and the layout of the park.
There are also constantly changing procedures for how the lines work with names such as fastpass, maxpass, lightning lane, genie, etc. Even reading what other people have done 2 months ago may not apply to your visit, but it’s still good to get a general idea.
Get there early! I know it’s vacation and sleep is valuable, but the first hour of the park is a prime time to get as many rides in as possible, and then you can take a mid-morning break to re-group and figure out the rest of the day. If you’re staying off-site, you’ll need to add time for driving in, going through security, and making your way through the turnstiles. Also, often the parks will actually open 30 minutes before official. Again, read some of the blogs that are dedicated to staying up-to-date on current procedures.
Save time and money on dining: I highly highly recommend using Mouse Dining for hard to get reservations. We’ve used this both for Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom and Oga’s Cantina in Hollywood Studios. This site monitors the official dining site for cancellations and sends a text when an opening appears. Set up alerts for your party and also smaller sub-group sizes to maximize your chances. We would have never been able to enjoy these restaurants if not for this website. Take advantage of mobile ordering in the park and quick-service options. Share a meal when possible, and save room and money for snacking (Both brought from home and purchased at stands)
Prepare for Lines Unless you’re going on a truly slow day such as a rainy Wednesday in the off-season, you’re going to experience lines. Activities and snacks and patience patience patience are so important. Phone apps and other games are nice to bring along. Also, many lines have theming that you as the adult can help direct attention to and ask to point out characters and colors.
Don’t minimize “small” rides and experiences: This is a tip for myself as well as others. Don’t be overly focused on big-name rides. Some of the characters will have minimal waits and some of the artistry shouldn’t be rushed through just to get on to the next item on a to-do list. Soak in the magic! Listen to a band on main street. Use the Tangled themed bathroom near It’s a Small World. Sit on a bench and eat a Mickey ice cream bar. It’s the happiest place on earth!
Park Highlights and Itineraries
Hollywood Studios
Date of visit: January 2020
Kids’s ages: 2.5-year-old Ellie and a 4-year-old Carter.
Highlights: Slinky Dog Ride, Rise of the Resistance
We had FastPasses for Toy Story Mania. This was right after the Rise of the Resistance Star Wars ride premiered. The process has changed since we went, but when we visited, they were using a virtual queue for that ride. We started the morning getting to the park early and hurrying to get our boarding pass group for our spot in the virtual line for a ride time later in the afternoon. After sorting out that process, we were able to enjoy our morning in the Toy Story area. Because we arrived early, the wait wasn’t too long for the Slinky Dog ride and other rides in the area such as Toy Story Mania and Alien Spinners.
Next, we did a Disney Jr. dance party and then went to sign Carter up for a Jedi training session later in the afternoon. We spent some time doing Star Wars activities such as exploring the stores, star tours, and eating lunch in that area.
In the afternoon, Ben and I swapped off taking Carter on the Rise of the Resistance ride. Definitely a highlight. A very immersive fun ride. The workers stay in character, and Carter loved it. Ellie took a nap in our laps during this period of time.
In the late afternoon, it was time for Carter’s Jedi program. About 20 little kids dressed up and practiced for a few minutes so they could put on a short show fighting Kylo Ren and Darth Vader. Carter still loves to talk about how he beat Kylo Ren (The sometimes-villain from the most recent trilogy) We had some drinks and small snacks at Oga’s Cantina in Galaxy’s Edge thanks to obtaining reservations by using the MouseDining service. (This site notifies you of cancellations so you can sign up). We wrapped up on the big day by meeting Mickey and Minnie and watching a short Frozen show. A very busy and fun day.
Magic Kingdom
Date of visit: January 2019
Kids Ages: Ellie was 1.5 and Carter was 3.
Highlights: Dumbo, Meeting Mickey, Snow White ride
FastPasses: The group had a combination of FastPasses for Barnstormer, Dumbo, Space Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Meeting Mickey.
We started the morning at the Be Our Guest restaurant. We used the MouseDining website to obtain reservations and quickly shared some breakfast entrees. Our breakfast appointment time was prior to the park opening time, and we were able to wrap up breakfast in time to head to the Snow White ride before the general admission folks made their way there. We used rider switch with Ellie and enjoyed the ride, although it was short, and I would definitely recommend trying to research ways to make your wait shorter if possible. We then spent some time doing other rides in the area. Carter loved the Barnstormer ride, and Ellie and I did the Dumbo ride 3 times. The Dumbo waiting area also has a really cool play area to make the wait go quick.
We also enjoyed watching a parade near the Cinderella castle, meeting Mickey and Minnie and doing as many fun other rides as we could squeeze in. We had tacos from Pecos (mobile ordered) for lunch, Ellie took a carrier nap on Ben, and we powered through the whole day. I continuously refreshed the Disney app to get the group new Fastpasses throughout the afternoon and evening. (Note this process has and will continue to change). There are many rides in this park that even Ellie could do without having to meet height requirements, including It’s a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Carousel. Carter was tall enough at this visit to do Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain (40in) but not Space Mountain (44). We ended the day eating hotdogs from Casey’s and watching the fireworks and light show on the castle. We were all exhausted.
Epcot
Date of visit: April 2017
Age of kids: Carter was 2 years old and this was pre-Ellie. Note: under 3s are free!
Highlights: The Seas with Nemo and Friends, shows in the World Showcase, Ellen’s Energy Ride (No longer there)
We did not do any FastPasses for this trip. We started the morning at the Nemo ride and did it several times. We also enjoyed the aquarium area, and Carter loved meeting Mickey and Minnie. After this and a few other rides for all heights (Figment, Ellen’s Adventure – no longer there), we spent the rest of our day in the World Showcase. Carter loved the little shows and performers, and we loved drinking and eating all the things. We didn’t do the Frozen ride due to long lines. We still have not done this ride (Help me to convince Ben we need a new trip!). There are few other rides in Epcot that have height requirements, around 40in, including Soarin, Test Track, and Mission: Space. On our next visit, we will need to add these to our to-do list!
Non-Park Highlights
Since we usually only spend one day in the park, we like to extend the magic on non-park days. We make sure to have some time to enjoy at our hotel pool and also love going to the Disney Springs shopping area. There are great restaurants and tons of Disney theming. There is also a fun carousel, a large volcano, and Dinosaur statues. Our favorite stores include the LEGO store, UNIQLO clothing, and the large World of Disney store. You can take the boats from one end to the other as its own mini-fun activity as well. At Christmas time, there are decorated trees and unique snack opportunities too.
There are also options on Disney Property to eat at Hotel restaurants, see animals at the Animal Kingdom Lodges, and even do a round of mini-golf.
