Insider tips to the Happiest Place on Earth: DisneyWorld
Disney truly is The Happiest Place on Earth. My love of Disney began at a very young age, and I have been drawn to the magic of it ever since. Can I say with full certainty that I remember my first experience at Disney? Well, no. But as a young child, you remember the feeling of being in the parks, which in my opinion is the most magical thing of all.
My recent trip to Disney World was nothing short of amazing. And while I was there, I gained a whole new perspective on the parks, as well as some tips and tricks to share to help you navigate your experience. Disney can seem overwhelming at first, but our job is to make that experience as seamless as possible. I hope that my insider knowledge will help you feel more at ease during your Disney vacation!
*Please note, this information is regarding Disney World, not Disneyland. While many of their processes are similar, the specifics will vary.
Let’s start with the basics: Accommodation.
There are more than 25 Disney Resort properties to choose from in Orlando. Their accommodation is divided into Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villa Resorts. Choosing a resort to best fit your needs will depend on factors such as cost, location, and resort amenities.
During my most recent trip, my family and I stayed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, one of the hotels in the Deluxe Resort categories. This hotel is in the Magic Kingdom region of Disney World and is located directly across the lake from the entrance to the park.
My first impressions of the hotel were amazing. The best word to describe the hotel is in its name: grand. With the beautiful chandeliers, elegant atmosphere, and wonderfully landscaped paths, it truly is spectacular. The rooms are very comfortable, and the hotel is incredibly quiet. It is a great choice if you want elevated accommodation and a great view of the nightly fireworks (…just be prepared to hear them every night). With that being said, the theming of this hotel isn’t for everyone. The atmosphere is very Victorian, so if you wanted something with more Disney flare, I would recommend looking at another property (contact us for more reccommendations).
You can do online check in to your hotel through the app to expedite the process. You can set up billing, choose a pin number for room and resort purchases, and make any special requests in advance.
Disney Property Perks & Transportation.
So, what is included in your resort stay? One of the main things included in your resort stay is transportation between the parks. At the Grand Floridian, transportation options included a boat ride to Magic Kingdom, monorail access to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and bus service to all other parks. The transportation options will vary depending on which hotel you stay at and where it is located. All resorts will have a bus service to the parks, but special transportation such as the monorail, boat rides, and Skyliner are hotel dependent.
Other perks of staying on property will include free admission to one of their waterparks on your-check in day, 30-minute early access to all parks, and late access to Magic Kingdom on Wednesday’s. This means resort guests will get to stay until 12:00 am, instead of 10:00 pm. Guests will just have to scan their resort key to access the rides after hours. You will also be able to charge all Disney purchases to your room using your access card. What isn’t included in your accommodation price is your dining, drinks, park tickets, lightning lane, and all other services.
Park Tickets.
Now that accommodation has been covered, we can talk tickets! The ticket options are:
1 Park Per Day
Water Park and Sports Option
Park Hopper
Park Hopper Plus
The main questions to ask yourself when deciding which option to choose are: Do you want to visit water parks? Would you like to visit multiple parks per day? Are you interested in any of Disney’s sports courses? How long are you visiting?
Asking these questions will help you and your agent narrow down what will best fit your needs. Once your tickets are purchased, they can be linked to the My Disney Experience app by scanning the QR code or typing in the ID. Tickets can be saved to your wallet for easy access.
DisneyWorld Parks.
Compared to Disneyland, Disney World is HUGE. It is about 25,000 acres and has its own road system connecting all the resorts, parks, and sports areas. There are four main parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. There are also two water parks: Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. And if that wasn’t enough, they have their shopping and entertainment district, Disney Springs, as well as a couple golf courses. The parks are not close to each other. You will need to take a bus between the parks, which adds time to your day if you purchase the Park Hopper ticket option, so it is important to keep that in mind.
Magic Kingdom is generally the first park you think of when you picture “Disney”. This park has the most rides and entertainment, including their nighttime fireworks. This is where you will find a lot of the ‘main’ attractions like Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, and many more.
Animal Kingdom is their most ‘natural’ park. There are many walking trails where you can spot exotic animals, but there are limited rides. This park has a very laid-back atmosphere, having lots of shows and activities to attend at your own discretion. There are never any fireworks at this park, and it closes earlier than all the others.
Hollywood Studios is known for its many shows including Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, and Fantasmic. This park is also home to the famous Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land.
Lastly, EPCOT is where you will find the world pavilions featuring shopping and dining from around the world. There are limited rides, but there are always festivals happening throughout the year, so it is a good idea to check and see what events are happening during your stay.
DisneyWorld Dining.
As expected at a deluxe property, dining isn’t cheap. There are a good number of options, just be prepared to spend more than you would at a standard restaurant. Reservations are strongly recommended (or required) at majority of the restaurants, even casual dining. There was one quick-service location at the resort offering reasonably priced grab and go meals. This is also where you will find a fountain refill station. If you want soda, you will either purchase a regular pop at the counter or a refillable cup to use at any refill station across the park!
Dining reservations can be made on the My Disney Experience app. Reservations can be made starting 60 days in advance, but this is not required. I would recommend booking specialty restaurants far in advance, but standard day-to-day dining can be arranged the day before or even the day of depending on the restaurant. The app is also where you will make any mobile order requests. Don’t be intimidated, the process is very simple.
Choose your dining location > place your order > choose an arrival window > pay.
Once you are at the dining location within your time slot, just hit “I’m Here” on the app and they will prepare your order. You will receive a notification when the order is ready, and you can pick it up at the mobile order pickup window. It’s that easy!
Lightning Lanes.
One common question is regarding Lightning Lane Passes. The main thing to know is that you cannot buy Lightning Lane when you book your tickets. Guests of Disney Resort hotels and other select hotels can purchase passes up to 7 days in advance of their stay—and other Guests can purchase passes up to 3 days in advance of their park visit. Lightning Lane is purchased per ticket, per day, and will fluctuate based on the selected park, time of year, and demand. They must be purchased through the app as there is no web access. There are Single, Multi-Pass, and Premier Pass Lightning Lane options.
Multi Passes are the most common and will let you access to multiple attractions throughout the day. You will get to select 3 rides at the time of purchase. Once you’re in the park, after a time slot is used, you will be able to reserve another. Note, you are only able to use Lightning Lane on one attraction per day. Meaning, if I use Lightning Lane on It’s a Small World in the morning, I will not be able to reserve another time slot for that same ride later in the day. You will also be able to access and download any photos taken on the attractions through the app.
Single Passes will give you access to the most in-demand attractions that are not available through Multi Pass. You can purchase up to 2 single passes per day.
Premier Passes are the most recent edition, and the most expensive. This combines the best of both worlds and allows you to access any attraction in the park, when you want. You do not need to reserve any time slots. No matter which option you choose, all your Lightning Lane reservations can be accessed and modified through the app.
Magic Bands.
So, what’s the deal with MagicBands? These are not necessary and are completely up to you as to whether you want to buy them or not. In my opinion, they are a good investment if you go to Disney frequently like I do, or if you have purchased the Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Premier Pass.
What do the bands do? First, if you are a resort guest your band will become your room key. You just go to the front desk, and they will link your reservation to your MagicBand. You will also be able to use it to charge purchases for your room. Just tap the band, type in the PIN, and you’re set. The bands will also have your ticket passes which you will take at the gate to enter the parks, as well as all your Lightning Lane reservations. PhotoPass photos will also be connected to your account by tapping your band at the photo stations at the end of certain rides. Other magical touches include interactions during nighttime spectaculars, lighting up on rides, and other fun elements. Again, these are not necessary but are a fun touch for a magical experience.
Other Tips.
Getting to Disney World from the airport does not have to be a stressful process. We went through a shuttle company and it was a very seamless process (this is something Paull Travel can arrange for you). Disney also offers direct shuttles to Disney Resort properties which can also be booked in advance. The drivers are very fun and interactive, giving you a great start, or end, to your vacation.
If you plan on also going to Universal Studios during your stay, here are a few things to keep in mind… There are no shuttles between Disney and Universal Studios. You will need to purchase an Uber or other form of transportation to and from the parks. Costs vary, and tend to increase during peak hours. It will take approximately 30 minutes each way if you take an Uber or similar rideshare. If Universal Studios is a bucket list attraction, I would suggest staying at a Universal Property for a couple of days, then changing to a Disney property after.
And remember - Disney is a magical experience for all ages, so above all, be sure to soak it up and enjoy the magic!
“Here, you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.”
