I've been to Disney World three times before, including a summer as a cast member, and I'm currently planning my fourth trip. For this next trip we're going with my cousins who have never been before and, even though my own first trip was only 6 years ago now, I had forgotten just how daunting (as well as obviously very exciting) the whole process of booking and planning a Disney World holiday for the first time can be. So, I decided to put together a few pieces of advice for anyone who's planning or getting ready to go on their own first trip to the most magical place on earth, to hopefully make it as stress-free as possible.
Manage Your Expectations
Going to Walt Disney World for the first time can be quite an overwhelming experience, particularly if you've never been to a Disney park before or are only used to smaller parks such as Disneyland Paris or Disneyland Resort in California. While you can of course expect to have an incredible time, the Disney World property is MASSIVE (about twice the size of Manhattan island to be exact) so you can't expect to do everything it has to offer in just one trip.
When you're planning, getting everyone in your party to write down the top few things that they know they absolutely want to do, whether that's rides, restaurants, or character meets, can be a great way to make sure no one feels like they've missed out by the end of the holiday, and all the things you'll end up doing on top of that are then an added bonus.
Be Prepared To Queue
Honestly, there are few things more annoying than people complaining about having to queue when they're in a theme park, especially if it's during peak times. If you plan well and make the most of your fastpasses, you can take advantage of short queues as much as possible, but sometimes waiting in longer lines is just inevitable. While there's nothing wrong with skipping a ride for one with a shorter queue at the time, if you go in with the attitude that you won't queue for more than 20 minutes for anything, you could end up leaving disappointed that you didn't get to go on every ride you wanted to.
Research, Research, Research
I wouldn't dream of going on holiday somewhere and not researching the best places to stay, where to eat, the most popular things to do, but a lot of people don't seem to do any research when it comes to a Disney World holiday. Maybe it's because people see it as just a theme park, and you wouldn't do much research before a trip to Alton Towers for example, but when you're spending that much money you want to make sure you're getting the most out of it.
The Disney World website itself is a great starting point for research, with opening hours, restaurant menus, ride restrictions and more. Blogs, youtube videos and Facebook planning groups are then great for getting a more unbiased opinion on certain things that can really help when deciding between two restaurants or fastpasses for example. Personally, I would say there's no such thing as too much research when it comes to a Disney holiday, especially as things are constantly changing and updating, although make sure you don't spoil shows or rides that are so much better when seen for the first time in person.
Explore More Than Just The Parks
When you've spent so much money on park tickets, you of course want to spend as much time in the actual parks as possible. And while there's more than enough to do in the parks to keep you occupied for a two week holiday, there is also so much to do on Disney World property outside of the parks. Whether you take a day to do some resort hopping, do some shopping in Disney Springs, or play a few rounds of mini golf, taking some time to explore what's on offer that's not just rides and characters can be a great way to have a more relaxed day while still making the most of your surroundings, and can potentially help you plan where you want to stay on your next trip!
(You can find out more about my favourite things to do in Disney World outside of the parks here)
Explore More Than Just The Parks
When you've spent so much money on park tickets, you of course want to spend as much time in the actual parks as possible. And while there's more than enough to do in the parks to keep you occupied for a two week holiday, there is also so much to do on Disney World property outside of the parks. Whether you take a day to do some resort hopping, do some shopping in Disney Springs, or play a few rounds of mini golf, taking some time to explore what's on offer that's not just rides and characters can be a great way to have a more relaxed day while still making the most of your surroundings, and can potentially help you plan where you want to stay on your next trip!
(You can find out more about my favourite things to do in Disney World outside of the parks here)
Let me know in the comments if you've got your first Disney World trip planned, or if you have any other advice for first timers!
Thanks for reading!
