A Parent’s Guide to Visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando

With the summer holidays fast approaching many people begin their long awaited trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando. Disney World is a fantasy land and something that will leave all first time visitors very impressed, especially the little ones. While Disney makes everything possible to guarantee an enjoyable visit, it is important to get a few tips to enjoy your trip even more. Hurry and apply online for your ESTA authorization to enjoy this family destination!

1. Try to Stay in a Disney Hotel or Resort. Disney hotels are more expensive than hotels outside of the theme park but offer many benefits including the FastPass (explained in the next point) and also your children will enjoy having Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie or Donald Duck join them for lunch or dinner.
2. Get as many Fast Passes as possible. The lines or queues and waiting times for rides in Disney can be very long. With a FastPass you are able to go the front of the line without any delays whatsoever. Staying in a Disney hotel or resort entitles you and each family member to 3 FastPasses per day. Being friendly with your Disney hotel concierge can help you secure more FastPasses.
3. Visit one Disney park per day.If you travel with small children it is highly recommended that you stick to one park per day such as Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom or Epcot and stick to the rides in that park. Going from park to park in one day will be very time consuming, will require very long walks and will tire your children greatly.
4. Consider renting a stroller even for older children. Even if your children are seven or eight years old you should consider renting a stroller when you enter the theme parks. The walks, crowds and weather can really tire them and it will get to a point where they won’t want to walk anymore and will not enjoy as many attractions as they could otherwise.
   5. Take plenty of sunscreen and rain gear. If visiting Orlando during the summer there will be a mix of extreme sun and heat and rain and thunderstorms. Do make sure that you and your children are well protected with sunscreen and remember to have umbrellas or rain ponchos to cover you so that you can continue enjoying the rides even with adverse weather.
5. Plan all your meals ahead of time. Making reservations in all restaurants ahead of time is very important as they get full very quickly and getting a table by walking in can be impossible in many restaurants. Especially if you want your children to greet the Disney characters then it will be crucial to reserve your dining options in advance.
6. Enjoy your hotel pool in the morning. Disney hotels pools can be an attraction all on their own but can get extremely busy in the afternoons after people have returned from the theme parks. If you want to enjoy the pool without the crowds then you should consider going in the morning before heading to the theme parks.
7. Watch the fireworks outside of Cinderella Castle. Watching the fireworks display is a magical experience and will highlight the wonders of visiting Disney.

Visiting Disney World is a magical experience for the whole family. Planning ahead of time is crucial in ensuring that you make the most of your stay. Disney World can be overwhelming with the crowds and weather so it is very important to have a very organized plan in order to enjoy every day to the fullest.