Contributed Content
Image Source
If your family is like many a family, then Disney might have played a bigger role in the family than you might give it credit for. Aside from being the origin of some of your children’s favourite characters, it might also be where you got some of your own childhood favourites, too (or adulthood faves, for Marvel or Star Wars fans out there.)
As such, arranging a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida might be a bucket list item for the whole family. However, anyone who has been before will tell you that you need to be organised to ensure that you can truly enjoy your trip. For that reason, we’re going to look at a few tips and tricks to help you see everything that you want, avoid some common frustrations, and make some memories your family will treasure.
Be aware of how policies in the park are changing
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed how travel works across the entire globe. For that reason, it shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s changing things at Disney World, as well. What’s more, there is always room for further change as a result of new policies. As such, you should look at resources that keep up with policies, such as the coronavirus response.
Be clever with when you book your trips
While there is never a time of the year when Disney World isn’t full of visitors, you can make sure that you’re avoiding the most crowded times of the year. There are crowd calendars that you can look at online to make sure that you’re able to book things when they’re at their least busy. The school year tends to be when most families aren’t able to make the trip.
Know your must-sees before you arrive
A lot of people can find themselves surprised by just how massive the Disney World Parks are. Indeed, there are multiple parks, all of them with a wide range of attractions. You can check out the maps online, as well as look at schedules for events, parades, and fireworks, to make sure that you have a game plan. You might not always be exactly where you want to be at every given moment, but you can make it a lot easier to hit up all of the essentials on everyone’s lists.
Bring a park bag with you
Every day at Disney World is fun, but it’s also very long. You want to make sure that you don’t get caught out without the things that you need while exploring the parks. To that end, you should make sure that you bring a park bag with you (or one for every adult), to fill with cooling towels, sunscreen, reusable straws, hand sanitisers, and other essentials that you will want to make sure that you always have on you. There are a lot of places you can restock in the park, as well.
It’s worth staying at one of the Disney hotels
There are a lot of places in Orlando that you can stay and many of them will be nice and close to the parks. However, if you want to avoid the hassle of waiting in line to get in every day and to get some of the benefits of the resort that others don’t, then you should see more about getting a package holiday including one of the park hotels. The convenience, closeness, and add value is well worth it.
Know how to manage those lines
Lines for the many rides and attractions at Disney World’s parks can get very long, indeed. You should be ready for a decent amount of waiting. There are waiting guides that give averages (but usually you’re not waiting quite that long.) However, if there are at least two adults with children visiting the park, then the Rider Switch option is a service that allows one adult to swap places with them in the line. As such, one adult can enjoy the ride, before swapping out with another person who gets to enjoy it after without having to wait in line multiple times.
Bring snacks
While staying at one of the hotels might be worth the trouble, you will want to avoid buying all of your food in the parks themselves. The lines for food can be extremely long, you might be waiting as long as an hour to get some grub. Bring plenty of snacks with you so that you always have something to keep the family energetic. You can get free water at any stand in the resort, however, so don’t worry about having to bring a lot of bottled water with you. If you are going to order some food from the many eateries in the park, the Disney App can allow you to do it in advance so you don’t have to wait at your chosen restaurant as long.
Be ready for the rain
In case anyone hasn’t told you yet, Florida is as rainy as it is sunny, with torrential downpours that can come down quick, especially in the summer. You will find that there are plenty of places to buy ponchos and umbrellas around the park and if you wait to buy them there, you will be paying indeed. You can get your rainproofing essentials before you hit up the park for a lot cheaper. You won’t regret carrying them around, you are guaranteed to make use of them at least once before you leave.
Know where you can find coupons
Disney World can be a very expensive place to visit, especially if you want to buy any souvenirs. To that end, you should make sure that you look for gift cards that you buy at stores in and around Orlando. There are also shop coupons that you can get from the Quick Service restaurants throughout the park that can help you cut 10% off of your total. It’s also a good idea to check online for any new coupons or codes since they can update fairly regularly and you want to keep up with them.
Are you planning to come back?
If you end up falling in love with Disney World or you already have a good idea that you’re going to be making the trip again in the future, then you might want to look at a few of the ways that they make it less expensive. For one, you can get an annual pass, a good investment if you end up staying more than eight days every year. You can also get a “bounce back” offer if you book your next trip before you even leave the park. That might be very far to plan for a lot of people, but you might very well get bit by the Disney bug and find it becomes a more frequent holiday than you planned.
Consider paying off ahead of time
If you’re not excited about dropping the full cost of your trip to Disney World in one payment, you don’t have to do that. Instead, you can book a vacation package with a deposit and then pay it off ahead of your trip in instalments. It can make what is a relatively expensive holiday a lot more affordable. Package trip services can offer some of the best deals to do just this, so be sure to check with them first and foremost.
With the tips above, you can ensure the Disney World trip that the whole family has been dreaming of. It’s worth all the prep work.