Famously one of the happiest places on earth, Disneyland is also one of the busiest places on the earth and there are lots of tips and tricks out there to help you utilise your time effectively once you are through the magical gates. But the sooner you start planning, the better your trip will be, so get planning before you travel to make your visit a trip of a lifetime.
Book in Advance
The best Disney World tickets are those that are bought in advance, for a fraction of the cost of tickets bought on the day. Some of the best offers can be found with American Attractions. With pre-bought tickets you will be able to go right to the entrance and not have to queue twice. Booking tickets in advance also gives you the best availability options for your trip. If possible, try to plan a trip at a quieter time of year – for example, not in July or around the school holidays, especially American school holidays.
Location, Location, Location
If you can (and want to), try to get into a hotel located in the resort. That extra immersion you get in the Disney experience can really help transform your trip from just another holiday, to that vacation of a lifetime. Staying on site, you also get to benefit from ‘Extra Magic Hour’ – one hour earlier access to some parks which can vastly reduce waiting times. If you can’t stay in the resort, at least stay nearby so time is not wasted waiting for shuttles or looking for parking.
Make Dinner Reservations
Whilst it can be difficult to know what you want to eat so far in advance, it is definitely worth trying to make a guess and getting yourself some reservations for food at Disney World. You can see what is available through the Disneyland website or through their mobile app and booking in advance not only secures you a table but also stops you from having to walk around from place to place once you are there, trying to weigh up all of your dinner options.
Pack the Essentials
You don’t need reminding that Disney World is outside. Therefore, it goes without saying that try to pack for all eventualities. From sunscreen, hats and shades to mobile phone chargers and USB cables – make sure you have it all to hand. As an extra tip, if you are looking to stay dry on rides, bring your own waterproof poncho as queues for these can be extremely lengthy, especially when it’s not very sunny.
Research
Doing some basic research before your trip can go a long way. Simply knowing what areas of the park you would like to see or ‘do’ first can save you a lot of time standing around at the park, pondering over a map of the grounds. Having any sort of plan in place in regards to which area you would like to do first, and how to logically go about exploring Disney World is also a great idea. Having even the vaguest of ideas as to what is close to where can be a huge time saver.