My wife and I just got back from our trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida. My wife has been countless times since she was little. I have been several with cheerleading teams and judging, but never really got to go and soak up the Disney. Finally being able to do so, I have created a top ten list of things you should know more about and made our trip a blast! (My list is in no particular order.) These were my favorite things and suggestions for things that you should not miss for your trip!
10. The Magic Bands
Disney is still “testing” these bands out with certain resorts…meaning you have to stay on property at a resort that is testing these bands. I would highly suggest staying at one of these resorts and getting the magic bands! They are you park tickets, credit card, fast passes, room key, everything. This can really save you time with the fast passes, because you won’t have to go to the ride to get your fast pass! There are several perks to the Magic Bands! I love how Disney is upping their technology!
9. The Shows
All the shows in every park are fantastic. The Lion King Festival, Beauty and the Beast, Indiana Jones, Flights of Wonder and The Nemo Shows are among my favorites. They all have specific times so make sure you get a Times Guide as soon as you enter each park! You will want to try and plan your day around these and get to each show at least 20 minutes early to get good seats.
8. The Food
You will want to make reservations for the restaurants that are on property. I would most highly recommend Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom. The food is amazing. This restaurant is really hard to get into so you want to book early. At the end of the meal, make sure you ask your waiter/waitress for “The Grey Stuff”!
7. The Fast Rides
Of course you cannot miss the roller coasters of each park: Rock’n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios is by far the best ride ever & the best seats are in the front! Once you get to the cast member directing everyone into rows, tell them you would like to be in the front row and they will place you in a waiting line for it! Believe me, its worth it! Mt. Everst in Animal Kingdom, Mission Space in Epcot, and Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom are among the other exciting roller coasters that you can’t miss!
6. The Shops
There are shops all over the Disney property and in each park. Though some of the shops have specific merchandise that can only be found in each shop. My favorites are Hollywood Studios: The Star Tours Shop, The Rocki’n’ Roller Coaster Shop & The Villain Shop. Magic Kingdom: Belle’s Shop In Fantasyland, and The Pirates of the Caribbean shop in Adventureland. Animal Kingdom: Disney Outfitters is great! Epcot: You must visit all the stores in each country in Epcot. These are all fantastic stores, but my favorite is in Japan.
5. The Pins
Disney pins are a part of the experience! Buy yourself a lanyard! Buy yourself some cheap pins, some that you like and some that you can trade, and trade with cast members! Its so much fun and only adds to your experience. TIPS: If you really want to be prepared, order a bundle of cheap Disney pins on Amazon before your trip, that way you will have some to trade once you arrive in Disney! You can only trade two with the same cast member a day. You cannot trade them for a pin and give them one they already have.
4. The Slow Rides
These have recently become my new favorite obsession with Disney World. You must take the time to soak in the real Disney World & yes that means more than just riding the roller coasters. My new favorites are Hollywood Studios: The Great Movie Ride, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream, and doing the drawing class in Animation Academy. Magic Kingdom: The People Mover, Peter Pan’s Flight, & Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, & Maharajah Jungle Trek. Epcot: Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land.
3. The Photo Pass
Of course you’re going to take your camera, or even use your phone as your camera when you go to Disney. I would also get a Disney Photo Pass card while you are there. You will be able to hand this Photo Pass card to every Photographer Cast Member and they will automatically send the pictures they capture to your card. These pictures will be viewable online!
2. The App
You will most definitely want to download the My Disney Experience App. You will want to set up a profile with your email and with each person/family member that you are traveling with. With this app you can set up your fast passes for everyone, dinner reservations for everyone, plan your days and events, see character meeting times, park hours, special events, etc. This is the hub of information you will need for your Disney trip! This is also the tool that will help link your tickets to your Disney Magic Bands! The app is of course free from the App Store.
1. The Characters
This past trip my wife and I met 32 characters while we were there! It was a blast! I have never had so much fun. Each character we met was unique in their conversation and really played their role well. They were also genuinely interested in us, where we were from, and striking interesting conversation. Don’t miss out on this fun part of the Disney experience! Meet characters and take pictures with them! You won’t regret it!
chadwmurphy 