Character Meetings
© Magical Family Journeys.
“After taking almost a million steps inside of Disney parks, I’ve found that a park bag filled with the essentials is absolutely necessary to ensure an enjoyable vacation.”
A practical way to do
walt Disney world for First-timers
Walt Disney World is an internationally known travel destination, where people come from various continents just to experience the magic. And there is no denying that a trip to Walt Disney World can get to be quite expensive.
From the expansive offerings at Walt Disney World that often contribute to FOMO (fear of missing out, especially if you are trying to pack as much Disney into one vacation) to not getting the “magic”, both over-planning and under-planning can put a damper on how you ultimately perceive your Disney vacation.
Here are 5 tips for beginners ) to ensure you have an enjoyable time at Walt Disney World.
- Under-promise and over-perform
What does this have to do with Disney? you might ask. Well, this tip is really for you, the planner of the family. The trick to fighting FOMO is to lower the expectations for the number of experiences you will get to do. As, stated, due to the expansive offerings at Walt Disney World, it can take many months just to experience it all.
For each park that you are visiting, you should make a list of all of you and/or your family’s “must-haves”. Then make a list of your “nice to haves”. Try limiting your must-haves to 2-3 experiences per park. This is essentially following the old FastPass+ rule of having the ability to book 3 attractions in advance. This list can be a mix of rides and attractions, character meet-and-greets, and culinary experiences. Your must-haves list should consist of 5-8 additional experiences of the same mix. Also, factor in rest and break periods outside of dining times. This is essential to combat exhaustion early in your park day.
Honestly, you will more than likely get to do everything on your list and more, but the psychological factor that will boost your endorphins for tackling your list is far greater than being disappointed in missing out on items on an over-planned list.
2. Pack your park bag correctly
Yes, there is a wrong way to pack a park bag. After taking almost a million steps inside of Disney parks, I’ve found that a park bag filled with the essentials is absolutely necessary to ensure an enjoyable vacation, as long as you don’t overdo it. This can save you from carrying around additional weight in the Florida heat, especially if you aren’t utilizing a stroller.
Here is list my must-haves to include in your park bag (some of which you can get “free“):
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- Foot care products (Mole Skin, Salonpas)
- Empty reusable water bottles (can be attached to stroller or to save bag room)
- Extra changing clothes for littles under 8
- Small non-perishable snacks (fruit gummies, trail mix, beef sticks)
- Electrolyte powder drink mixes
- First aid items (Band-Aid, After Bite, Pain relief medicine, etc.)
In addition to a park bag, I also carry a fanny pack or crossbody pouch. This holds my valuables, like money, prescription meds, facial tissue, hand sanitizer/sanitizing wipes (come in handy to wipe a table when seating is limited), and other items that I need to keep on me at all times.
3. Get celebration buttons
The biggest regret that I had on my first ever trip with my kids was NOT GETTING THE CELEBRATION BUTTON! I didn’t know there was a thing until near the end of my trip. So the next trip, I made sure I visited Guest Relations in the parks and asked for the birthday button for my daughter and spring break button for my son.
The 20 minute wait in line was well worth it, as many cast members acknowledged the both of them and extended a “Happy Birthday” or a “Happy Spring Break”. The best part about the celebration button is that it is free! It is an inexpensive way to add more magic to your trip.
4. Mobile order food AHEAD
Disney has been pushing the use of cell phones in their parks for a while now, amplifying the offerings within their My Disney Experience app. One of my favorite offerings has been the Mobile Ordering for food. In the beginning, it was limited to only a few restaurants. Now, the list of of dining locations offering mobile ordering has expanded. You can even find sit-down restaurants like Sanaa (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge) and Ale & Compass (Disney’s Yacht Club Resort) with a mobile to-go option in the app! Not only can you order ahead while in the parks, you can also order while leaving the parks when headed back to your resort.
This allows more time to enjoy experiences and less time in line waiting to order food. While in the parks, my strategy is to order food ahead of time while waiting in line for an attraction. And when it is time to head back to the resort, I am ordering food on either the bus, boat, skyliner or monorail, to ensure we aren’t going hungry after a long day in the parks.
5. You MUST visit more than once
My final tip is to plan more than one Walt Disney World vacation. Plan at various times during the year. Experience Disney at Christmas and Halloween. Try out the various EPCOT festival offerings that are scattered throughout the year. You will find that there is always something new to explore, and you will want to come back for the things you have fallen in love with. One way to combat FOMO (and the infamous Disney withdrawal) is to to experience the magical offerings over and over again.