Disney World may be the most magical place on Earth; however, it is pretty difficult to navigate these magical parks. With rides, parades, fireworks, characters, and shows, there is so much to do in only one day. I've been fortunate enough to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida every year of my life, so I know the ins and outs of every park in Disney World. With help from my sister Danielle, here is an outline of how to conquer Disney Parks like a champ.
To start, download the My Disney Experience app. This app links your Disney tickets to it and shows your dining reservations, FastPass+ reservations, maps, wait times, character times, attractions, etc. It is the best app out there for navigating Disney parks since it is an official Disney app. The good news is that the app is free (unlike many other things in Disney World)! This app will organize everything you do in your Disney day.
To begin your Disney day, you need to wake up super early. Most Disney days, we wake up at five in the morning. My family and I arrive at the park an hour before it opens. By the time you get through parking, shuttles/walking to the entrance, and security, it will be about a half hour before the park opens. The benefit of getting to the park early is getting close parking, so you don't have to walk for a long time or wait for a shuttle. Also, once you're there early, you can beat the crowds and get to the rides quickly once the park opens the gates.
Once you walk into the park, your first instinct will be to take pictures in front of the castle, the Epcot ball, etc. However, you DON'T want to do that. The reason is that the lines for the rides get longer by the minute! No fear, though, because FastPass+ is here. FastPass+ allows you to get on an expedited line to get on a ride faster. You are allowed to book your FastPasses thirty days before you go to the park, or sixty days before if you are staying at a Disney World Resort. You are only allowed to book three FastPasses ahead of time and you can get more the day you are in the park after you use the first three.
Pro tip: don’t waste FastPasses on rides that don’t need it; do your research beforehand, which can be done on the app itself. Get FastPasses for the three biggest rides. However, the FastPasses for the big rides go quickly! One time, I woke up at 5 o'clock in the morning thirty days before my Disney day to get the best FastPasses before they were taken. If you (sadly) don't get the FastPasses and you sleep in by accident (which I have also done before), run to the biggest ride that you don’t have a FastPass for as soon as you get to the park first and THEN go back and take as many pictures as your heart desires.
Figuring out the layout of the park is difficult if it is your first time visiting Disney. I recommend getting a map when you first enter the park or using the map on the My Disney Experience app. For the Magic Kingdom, my family and I usually navigate by taking it one land at a time (Frontier Land, Fantasy Land, Adventure Land, etc.) or whatever rides have the shortest wait time. Don't waste time running across the park a million times! We use the same technique with Epcot: we first go to Future World and then to the World Showcase. In the World Showcase, we walk in order of the countries; we like to start at Mexico and end in Canada because Canada has good firework viewing.
When you are finally ready to leave the park after a full day of food and fun, you should wait to leave after the crowds or run faster than the crowds. After the parade and fireworks, the park closes and everyone bolts out, causing a major traffic jam. If you know your way well, you can navigate around the crowds. However, even the smartest Disney experts still have a hard time getting around the herds of tour groups and crying children. My advice to you is to just be patient when leaving the park; it may be difficult, but it is well worth it after your magical Disney day!
My next article will explore the world of Disney dining, so stay tuned and stay hungry!
