Tips For First Visit to Disney World Orlando

11 Tips For Surviving Your First Trip to Walt Disney World

January 20, 2013

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"We're going to Disney World!" As soon as my kids heard Eli Manning utter that post-Super Bowl phrase, they couldn't wait to board the plane for Orlando, FL. Little did they know that we had booked our trip six months earlier, planning to stay at an apartment off-property (thanks, Nanna!), a few miles from the park. I loved Disney World as a kid, but back then, it was just two parks, and I wasn't the one planning the trip or paying for it! Today it is five parks, and we were planning on meeting friends there the week of Presidents' Day — the kids would be off from school, but so would thousands of other kids all with the same destination in mind.

To say I was nervous about the trip is an understatement. I envisioned waiting in long lines everywhere, being inundated with kids whining for Mickey Mouse ears and other souvenirs every three minutes, and feeling overwhelmed by the size of the parks. My vision couldn't have been further from reality. Sure, those things existed, but despite all of that, we experienced the Happiest Place on Earth. Here are my tips on how you can do that, too!

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by Rebecca M Gruber 6

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6 Comments

aprilallard 14 weeks 2 days

love this! great pics! we are going in april (first time with kids...we have been alone once before). it's going to be tough, but i am really excited. i want to know how much the stroller rental was in the park for a double?? thanks!

rmfranze 1 year 8 weeks

This is a great list! I would also recommend doing the disney hotel, because that gets you extra hours at the park, free shuttles between parks/hotel, and pickup/drop off at the airport. A meal plan is also a good investment. There are plenty of websites that will help you get a great deal on them. For my husband and I, we did the basic plan (a snack, usually our breakfast, a stand up, usually our lunch, and a sit down, which we made reservations for) and it cost us $50 a day for both of us. That may seem like a lot until you look at what just your dinner bill would have been...most times it was $70-$80 to get all the things included in the meal plan dinner. Another bonus, if you ask the wait staff for the recipe for something, they are supposed to give it to you. Good luck on future planning!

Susi May 1 year 10 weeks

I am not so afraid now — thanks for the tips!

Bloomdl 1 year 11 weeks

These tips are invaluable & couldn't come at a better time! I've just started planning our first real family vacation with our daughter who will be 5 in December when we go. We have lodging arranged, now I'm trying to plan all the details but since it's been, oh, about 25 yrs since my last trip, I was clueless. Now I feel much more prepared, thanks to you!

inbliss01 1 year 11 weeks

wow! these tips are really good! If you did all these things you definitely did better than me. Our first time at Disney was amazing...but it was tough! glad you had fun!

Nancy Einhart 1 year 11 weeks

These are great tips. Honestly, I love Disney World, and I kind of want to go right now. I haven't been since they had the FastPass or rider switch things; what a smart idea!