8 Tremendously Helpful Tips for First-Time Visitors to Walt Disney World
Planning your first Disney trip is thrilling. Finally, after wishing upon a star, you’re dream of going to the Magic Kingdom is coming true!
But planning can also feel overwhelming… especially when there’s an entire culture around Walt Disney World that newcomers have to learn on the fly!
Thankfully, we’ve gathered some of our best tips for first-time Disney World visitors, so you can tackle Disney right the first time. With these tips for Disney World visitors, no one will even be able to tell you’re a first-timer; they’ll think you’re a Magic Kingdom veteran! So, relax, and just let the magic unfold.
1. Set Reasonable Expectations
Disney World is huge. You could easily spend 2 weeks there and still have an enormous bucket list of things to do. So, before you even start planning your itinerary, take a deep breath and accept you won’t have time to do everything you want to do. There’s a reason some people visit Disney every year (or more) – it’s a never-ending experience!
Definitely don’t feel pressured to do everything your first time there. It’ll ruin the fun if you’re stressed!
That said, do some research, and pinpoint a few must-do activities, and plan around them. If you enjoy being crafty, you can even make a chart and rank the various activities into A, B, C, and D tiers to help you prioritize.
Above all, enjoy the magic, relax, and let your journey take you where it will.
2. Make Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) When Possible
Starting 180 days before your trip, start making ADRs. While that might be overkill in the regular world, Disney World is anything but regular. The most popular restaurants often book up months in advance. If you want to visit popular spots like Be Our Guest Restaurant, Chef Mickey’s, or Cinderella’s Castle, book as soon as you can – especially if you’re visiting during the busy season!
If you wait too long, you run the risk of having to spend lots of time waiting for tables at eateries or missing out completely on some really special experiences.
3. Prepare for Lots and Lots (and Lots) of Walking
First-timers often don’t think about it, but a trip to Disney World is basically an entire day of walking. (An extremely exciting day of walking, sure, but a day of walking nonetheless!)
You’ll be on your feet most of the day, often in the sun. You’ll also be eating a lot of fun, delicious food that probably isn’t as nutritious as what you’d eat at home. (Maybe. I usually eat Captain Crunch, sooo…) And you also probably won’t be sleeping as much as you would be at home. It can leave you feeling more wiped out than you’d expect.
That’s why we recommended planning breaks into your schedule! Pack moleskin for those inevitable blisters. Wear comfy, sturdy walking shoes – and break them in before your trip! And don’t forget to wear your Fitbit so you can congratulate yourself on all those steps.
If you can, plan a spa day at your hotel or a few days to catch up on sleep after you return home instead of going straight back to work or school. You’ll be glad you did!
4. Come Up With a Game Plan (Then Throw it Out the Window)
For a lot of people, it seems appealing to just go with the flow at Disney World and see where your journey takes you. But if you don’t plan at least a little bit, you’ll quickly realize you’re in over your head. You might find yourself spending too much time waiting for a table at a restaurant or struggling to even know what to do.
Even if you’re an experienced traveler who usually flies by the seat of your pants, do at least a teensy bit of planning beforehand. Look at the park map, check out rides and food options, and plan out your days.
On the other hand, remember that your plans, no matter how well laid out, will probably end up going slightly out the window. On your way to one attraction, you might stumble on something completely unexpected. Embrace it! That’s part of the Disney magic.
5. Budget for Wait Times and Delays
Everything takes longer than you think it will at Disney World. This has less to do with wait times (as most people assume) and more to do with transportation, walking between attractions, and meals taking longer than you’d expect.
As you plan your itinerary, assume you won’t make it to about half the things you’ve planned for each day. If you make it to everything (or even almost everything), consider that a bonus. If you don’t, don’t beat yourself up or feel like you planned poorly.
This mindset allows for letting diversions take up time. As we said, half the fun of Disney is roaming around, making pit stops at fun locations as you stumble upon them, grabbing impromptu snacks and souvenirs, and letting little unexpected surprises delight you.
Just remember what Pumbaa and Timon taught us – Hakuna Matata means “no worries!”
6. Make a Disney Park Pass
Disney’s theme parks started using the Park Pass reservation system in July 2020 to limit park capacity for safety. That’s right, you can’t just show up with your ticket anymore! As soon as you book your travel dates, choose which parks you’ll be at for each day and make your reservations online. If you wait too long, you risk not being able to get in – an unmitigated Disney disaster.
7. Stay at a Disney Hotel
When you’re booking your hotel, you’ll have to decide between staying at a Disney hotel or staying somewhere offsite. We strongly recommend staying at a Disney hotel, especially if it’s your first time at Disney World.
Disney hotels tend to be more expensive than other options, but consider this: if you stay offsite, you’ll have to rent a car, drive to the parks (which takes up precious vacation time) and pay for parking. You’ll also have to coordinate that transportation, which can feel overwhelming and pulls precious time and energy from what really matters – your time spent inside the parks.
What’s So Special About Disney Hotels?
Staying at a Disney resort lets you use Disney complimentary transportation. The parks have a system of buses, watercraft, skyliners, and monorails to get you from your hotel to the parks as quickly as possible without a hassle. Instead of comparison-shopping the best car rental, you can focus on enjoying your trip.
Disney hotels also have the added bonus of keeping you in the “Disney bubble” your entire stay. Newcomers often don’t realize this, but Disney magic is a very real thing, and you’ll have a much easier time experiencing it if you can spend your entire trip inside Disney’s world.
Each resort is themed, so you can choose a unique experience that speaks to you. And each resort also has Disney-themed attractions, activities, and amenities. Going back to your Disney hotel at the end of a long day in the parks feels like an extension of your trip, not just a place you go in between days at the park.
8. Consider Character Dining to Meet Your Favorite Characters
Meeting your favorite Disney characters in person is one of the most iconic parts of a trip to Disney. And with good reason! It’s a magical experience to meet Mickey, Minnie, or your favorite Disney princess in the flesh. But because they’re so popular, that can also mean long wait times – sometimes even longer wait times than to go on rides or attractions.
If you want to meet your favorite characters without spending hours doing it, consider making reservations for character dining. While you eat, characters come to your table and do meet-and-greets and photo ops. It’s a great way to take a break from being outdoors on your feet and combines 2 activities in one: enjoying a great meal and meeting characters.
What’s your #1 tip for Disney World first-timers? Share your experiences by leaving a comment below!
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