There are secret to survival in every Theme park! Make the most out of your Disney Vacation with valuable tips and advice!
Instructions
1. Planning!
Before the trip get a map of the theme park. (Available on line at Disney.com) Map out the attractions you are interested in, and then plan a route that goes counter clockwise. People tend to always follow the pattern of the clock. So instead of Pirates of the Caribbean, go to Space Mountain first. There is always one or two attraction per section of park that has a long wait. Pick one of the longer waiting times PER section and ride that first, and the shorter lines later. As the afternoon drags on your patients wears thinner! It gets hotter and standing in line with a thousand tourist is not going to be fun! If you have first hand knowledge of rides always save the air-conditioned rides for afternoon. Comfort!!! Try to finish with a section before going on to the next section. This will save on your leg ware especially with little kids. There is a time-honored rule at Disney that wheelchairs go first. While hoping in a chair and jumping to the head of the line is quite fun, you will get caught! People have been stoned for lesser offenses!
Always ride the Ferry over and the Monorail back. After the park closes the lines at the Ferry can be quite vicious! The monorail has a more orderly system to dispatch people.
Do NOT NOT NOT carry a purse into the park. Carry a small backpack or a fanny pack. Keep your hands free! If it looks like rain and you want to bring rain gear or a change of clothes take advantage of lockers throughout the facility. If you are fortunate enough to be staying at one of the hotels in the park, take an afternoon break. Go first thing in the morning, go back to your hotel around 2:00, swim, relax, eat, and return around 5:00 for the next go round.
2. Kids!
There is no graceful way to say this, but kids under the age of 3 or 4 do not have fun at Disney! They are hot, miserable and they make everyone around them miserable too. Most of the smaller kids are afraid of the characters, and can't ride most of the rides. Do yourself a favor and leave them with Grandma! Many of the resorts have babysitting and age-specific kid activities.
There are very good reasons why theme parks have recommended heights for rides. The ride has been tested to assure that a person of that height is safe. Do not try to sneak a child onto a ride that is too big for them. That is a good way to end up in the hospital and ruin your trip!
Do not let kids under the age of 15 go off by themselves. The park is full of people from every culture and Nation! While parks do all they can to keep people safe, there is a weirdo in every crowd. If you do decide to let your children run wild, give them a check-in time every two hours. Some cell-phones do not work on these properties and some rides require you to turn them off, so don't depend on a cell phone to check in with. If your kids are going to go off without you keep them confined to one area, the park is set up in themed areas such as Adventureland or Main Street. Make plans to meet at a specific place in an area before going into the next section of the park. This will keep you from searching the ENTIRE Park when they come up missing.
3. Food!
Food at theme parks is getting better. The quality and healthy choices have changed a lot over the years. The prices though have gone through the roof! Make sure that you plan for the price gouging of a hamburger for $7.00! Make sure that a kid off by themselves has enough provisions to buy a drink and a snack if you should be separated for any length of time. Make PLANS to be separated! It happens! Make sure your child knows where to meet you in case they get lost. Make sure they know what "getting lost" means! Kids will wander around for hours riding, playing and not have a clue their parents are pulling their hair out looking for them. "If you don't see mom for 15 minutes, you are lost!" Make sure they know to approach an employee (easily identified) and tell that employee where you are supposed to meet in the event of getting lost. All theme park employees are trained in "Lost Parent" etiquette! While they may seem like a stranger to your child, if they have a nametag on with a theme park logo they will help! (Show them the distinctive nametags when entering the park!)
STROLLERS! God help us! There is nothing more aggravating than strollers in a mass of people. Do Not let your children push the strollers. I know it is great fun! But running into people's ankles hurts! Also another cause of stoning at theme parks! The biggest "issues" at all theme parks arise over strollers! The biggest fights, yelling matches, and down right mean acts have all been about the dreaded "Stroller!" Be courteous and watch where you are going!
Plan your day around your meals and snacks. Make sure you take the time to sit down and eat in an air-conditioned building. This will rest and refresh you throughout the day. There are six restaurants in the Magic Kingdom designed for sit down meals. Cinderella's Royal Table is very nice, but very pricey! Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe' even have a veggie burger! The Crystal Palace is a buffet styled dinner. Liberty Tree Tavern is nice and a little quieter than most. The Plaza Restaurant has deli style sandwiches and gourmet burgers. Tony's Town Square Restaurant serves Italian cuisine. You can call and get priority seating at these restaurants days in advance. 407-939-3463. Take the time to do this as it will save you at least an hour waiting for your dinner.
4. Rides! First thing: Check the schedule for parades. If you want to see a parade, mark the time. If you don't, MARK THE TIME to stay out of that area. Parade traffic is awful, but an excellent time to get on rides! Parade time is the absolute best time to be in Mickey's Toontown Fair. All the kids and strollers are gone!!!
Start your day by skipping Main Street and going directly to Tomorrow Land. There is nothing but shops on Main Street and you don't want to buy something and carry it all day. Always shop at the end of the day!
In Tomorrow Land hop on Space Mountain first, and then if you like the little go-cart racing do the Indy Speedway. There is a nice program called Carousel of Progress that is great for an afternoon ride if you want to walk back to this area. Otherwise try to visit it now!
Proceed to Mickey's Toontown Fair if you have very small kids. It is always packed and not worth the time unless you have small kids. This area is excellent for when parents are worn out and the kids want to play.
Proceed to Fantasyland. Don't miss It's a Small World or Mickey's PhilharMagic.
Off to Liberty Square with the Haunted Mansion a must see. There is a wonder program call Hall of Presidents, try to see this later in the afternoon.
Frontier Land is next with Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Country Bear Jamboree! Don't miss the bears!
Adventure Land is last area with Pirates of the Caribbean their star attraction. Pirates have the advantage of having their whole waiting line in air-condition!! A must see is Jungle Cruise and a Hike up Swiss Family Tree house.
5. You have seen everything now! Take another look at your map, what have you missed? Plan a re-route being careful to avoid parade times.
End your day at Cinderella's castle waiting for the fireworks. This is the time to brose any shops that you must see.
6. Added Tips!
Keep valuable in a closed fanny pack. Leaving your bag open is an invitation for pickpockets. Do Not leave packages and valuables visible in your car. Lock them in your trunk!
Don't wander through the shops during the day, especially Main Street! Every item on Main Street is available at Downtown Disney or Disney stores throughout the state. Pick your shopping wisely! There are many specialty shops in each section that are not available anywhere else.
Wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Walk through the mist whenever you see one! These misty showers of cool water are great for cooling you down without getting you soaked!
Most importantly, listen to your body. If you are tired, sit down and rest in air conditioning.
Tags: Make sure, Main Street, theme parks, This will, before going, fanny pack, getting lost