10 Tips for Your First Disney Vacation
Ideas to make your vacation to the happiest place on Earth even more magical!
I remember my first trip to Walt Disney World, as an adult, back in 2012. I walked into Magic Kingdom and “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” was playing on the speakers as I saw Cinderella Castle for the first time. It was a dream come true for me. But I also felt overwhelmed. I didn’t know where to start, where to eat, or what to do first. A first-time trip to Disney can be challenging; it’s a destination that has so many dining options, magical activities, and the parks are immensely large. But with my help — and a little bit of Pixie Dust — you’ll learn all the tools you need to have a magical and unforgettable vacation.
Get Everyone’s Favorite Free Souvenir
Going to Disney for the first time? Are you going to celebrate your birthday there? Or are you going on your honeymoon? Whatever it is you are celebrating, don’t forget to get your free Disney button during your visit. Stop at any Guest Services location, or even some of the stores in the park to get yours. There are several different models, to highlight your special celebration. Cast members can even personalize it for you.
Download the My Disney Experience App
Before your trip, download “My Disney Experience” and spend some time getting to know the app. Explore the maps and each land inside the parks. Check out the attractions, height requirements, entertainment and shows. You can see the operating hours of the parks for the days of your visit and check out special events that will happen when you’re there. On the app, you can even see where each character is located, so you can plan to meet them.
One of my favorite things to do on the App is exploring the dining options in the parks. You can see the type of dining (Quick Service, Table Service, Character Dining, Buffet, and more) and the prices for different meals. You can also explore the menu for all dining locations right on the app. This way, you can make a more informed decision on which restaurants you’d like to eat with your family.
Make sure you create and login to your Disney account, create profiles for all members of your party and link them to you. If you’re using MagicBands, you can order them through the app and link them to each guest. This way, before and during your visit, you can manage all guests and make dining reservations, as well as Lightning Lanes reservations.
Make Your Restaurant Reservations 60 Days in Advance
Talking about making reservations… make sure to plan your trip in advance and find out where you’d like to dine during your vacation. I highly recommend making reservations for Table Service restaurants if you plan to go to Liberty Tree Tavern and California Grill, but especially Character Dining Experiences, such as Topolino’s and Cinderella’s Royal Table. These places are super popular and run out of reservations fast. Reservations open 60 days before the day of your visit, at 6:00 AM EST. A few select restaurants might begin taking advanced dining reservations at 5:45 AM EST.
Pro Tip: If you’re not sure which restaurants you would like to dine at, book as many reservations as you can 60 days before. You have until 2 hours before your reservation time to cancel your booking without any charges. This way, you have more time to make a decision.
Order Ahead
Make sure to order important items before your trip. You don’t want to be at the parks when you realize you need sunscreen and end up having to pay 2x the price. Here are some of my must-haves when I go to Disney:
Sunscreen
Portable Charger
Water Bottle (you can refill in water fountains in the parks)
Ziplock Bags (for snacks - or to protect your phone on water rides)
Comfortable (not brand new) shoes
Leave your Selfie Stick at home
I know it sounds fun and you would have great photos and videos, but selfie sticks are not permitted at Disney, for your safety, as well as other guests’. Wearable video cameras, such as GoPros, may be used if they are attached to a chest or head mount, but not handheld.
You don’t need to bring an expensive camera
Let’s be honest, it’s not convenient to bring a big, bulky, expensive camera to the parks, not to say how risky it is to have an incident when you’re on rides. I’m sure you have a phone that takes gorgeous pictures of the castle or your favorite character. And rest assured, there are plenty of Cast Members who are photographers and they are trained to take the most amazing pictures of you and your family, at more than 100 different locations across all parks, with different effects and magic shots.
Pro Tip: My family and I always get the Memory Maker. For $185 for your entire stay, you can download all the pictures you take, including photos with characters, at iconic locations, as well as ride photos.
There are so much more to the parks than just rides
A lot of people still think about rollercoasters when they think about Disney. While the Disney parks have rides that are appealing to all tastes, the complex offers so much more.
Make sure to make some time during your vacation to explore beyond the ordinary. Visit award winning restaurants, such as California Grill, or Victoria & Albert’s. Go on a private tour, like the “Behind the Seeds Tour”, where you’ll learn about the future of agriculture and visit Disney’s Biotechnology Labs. Visit Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you can see a beautiful savannah with hundreds of animals (no park ticket required). Plan a day to have fun at Disney Springs, catch a free concert and visit the largest Disney Store in the World.
Book a Character Dining Experience
This is an iconic, epic, once-in-a-lifetime experience not only if you have children, but for those who are kids at heart as well. Meeting characters during a meal is a fantastic way to spend more time with them, take dozens of pictures and have A LOT of fun, not to say eat exceptionally well. Many character meals are buffet style, where you’ll pay one fee and eat as much as you’d like. Other experiences have Pre Fix Menus. Check out the Restaurants and Menus on My Disney Experience to see which one fits your family’s taste and budget better.
Pro Tip: When booking a Buffet Meal, if you reserve the final spots for breakfast, you can still enjoy some of the lunch menu, while paying breakfast rate. And you get a little more time with characters as well.
Skip the Park Hopper
This is arguably one of the most controversial topics when planning a Disney vacation. “To park hop or not to park hop, that is the question”.
Plan your vacation well, with enough time to go to the parks, enjoy your Disney Resort and have rest days. Plan for the 4 parks, one park a day, and you won’t need to spend extra on a Park Hopper. If you’d like to visit Disney’s water park, plan an extra day. However, if you’re on a time crunch and only have 2 or 3 days at the complex and want to see all 4 main theme parks, then I would suggest using the Park Hopper. I’ve been to Disney with a Park Hopper and without it. And it really depends on how much time you have, your budget and what your family needs. Have conversations about your itinerary so you can plan well and enjoy every minute!
Stay in the Magic
If I could share a final piece of advice, it would be to stay in the magic. Many people think that staying in the Disney Resorts is extraordinarily expensive. But I’m about to debunk that myth for you. Disney has many different types of accommodations: Campground, Value, Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villas. You can certainly find something that will work well for your family, while taking into consideration all the amazing amenities you get when you stay on property.
I’ve stayed on property and off property and I can share with you: the money I spent on car rental and parking when I stayed off property made my trip more expensive than if I had stayed in a Disney Resort.
Another priceless experience was leaving the Magic Kingdom after the fireworks. The lines to get to the Monorail just to get back to the parking lot were unbelievably long, children were crying and parents were tired. Doesn’t sound too magical, right? When you’re a Disney Resort guest, you can get on your Disney Bus through a different exit and be back in your hotel room in 15 minutes.
There are so many more perks, activities and magical moments when you stay in the Disney Bubble. And making the decision to stay in a Disney Resort will help make your vacation an experience.
You’ll never forget the everlasting magic of the moments you’ll live.
