The Bucket List: Disneyworld Part 3

There is a popular adage often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the father of time management, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” When it comes to a family vacation to Disneyworld no truer words could be spoken.

I like to boil this down to 5 “rules”:

1. Determine what you really want to experience. Do your homework; talk to friends that have gone, read books or on-line articles and reviews, and search Disney’s digital media. Figure out what rides and attractions are your top priorities.

2. Arrive at the parks early. This is the most important factor in minimizing time in lines. Eat breakfast before you arrive so you don’t waste prime touring time in a restaurant. Fewer people will do this and you’ll be glad you did.

3. Be different. OK, I don’t mean weird but take different routes and schedules than the crowds and avoid those somewhat predictable bottlenecks. Arrive early, eat at non-traditional times, choose to do rides/attractions when the crowds choose to see a popular show, avoid the park exit gift shops near closing time, find a proven “touring plan” on-line.

4. Take a nap. Especially if you have small children, stay at a nearby/convenient hotel/resort so you can leave at mid-day and take swim or nap before returning to the park later that evening. This is also important during the hot afternoons in the summer.

5. Mix it up. The fast-paced and regimented activities of rushing from attraction to attraction and waiting in lines and can often demand that small children get some time to romp and play and otherwise let off steam. If you don’t choose to return to your hotel, consider one of the play areas in the parks such as Tom Sawyer Island in Magic Kingdom and The Boneyard in Animal Kingdom.

A few more of my personal tips are:

Skip the dining plans. Food is cheaper if you pay as you go and sharing is often an attractive way of saving money. Also, you can bring food, snacks, and drinks into the park, with certain limitation such as no glass containers.

Pressed pennies make great (and cheap) souvenirs. My wife has been doing this for years. WDW has 120 such machines.

Don’t buy water in the park. Ask for free iced water at any quick service food stand.

Always go left. Us right handers, in the majority, instinctively choose to go right. Lines are usually shorter this direction.

Start from the back of the parks and work your way forward. Again, most people choose to do just the opposite.

Learn and take full advantage of the MyDisneyExperience App. Download the app early and spend time becoming familiar with all its features.

Go during the off-seasons if possible. You can check the “Disney World Crowd Calendar” on-line to find the best times to go.

If you really want to dine with a Disney Character (and this is quite special) choose breakfast since it is MUCH cheaper and if you book breakfast in Magic Kingdom you can actually get in before the park “officially” opens.

To take advantage of my experience and training, contact me at 678-901-0993 when you are ready to visit Disneyworld.