With only 24 hours in one day and more than 100 attractions, character meet and greets, and live entertainment offerings at the four Walt Disney World parks, it would be an understatement to say there is a lot to experience in a limited amount of time. So many shrieks to be yelped on roller coasters, so many oohs and aahs to be had at shows, and so many pages of autograph books to be signed - but there is SO LITTLE TIME!
It is impossible to do and see it all, but there are easy tips to follow to maximize your time at Walt Disney World. On today’s blog, we’re sharing five ways to make the most of your day at the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”
The Early Bird Gets…. To Enjoy Shorter Wait Times
We know, we know. You’re on vacation. The last thing you want to do is set an alarm, wake up to the disturbing sounds of said alarm, and plead with/beg/bribe your kids to get out of bed, get teeth brushed and get changed out of their pajamas. That is so everyday life. Why endure the struggles of reality on vacation when there is no homework to finish, no bus to catch and no lunches to make? Trust us - when you are at Walt Disney World, you will be rewarded for rising with the sun. How? Why?
While other park-goers are catching up on sleep or perhaps enjoying a leisurely breakfast, you’ve already left your hotel room; traveled via foot, Disney shuttle boat, Disney shuttle bus or ride-sharing service to the park; cleared security; and scanned your tickets/MagicBands at the entrance turnstile. By arriving at the park at least one hour before it actually opens, you are ideally positioned for “Rope Drop,” the highly-anticipated part of the day when Disney Cast members allow guests onto rides.
The Disney Cast Member (first person on the left) guides us to enter Magic Kingdom’s lands as part of “Rope Drop.”
You are at the front of the line, rather than the back. Although the physical distance does not seem that far, you are immediately boarding - or waiting only a few minutes - for Seven Dwarfs Mine or Slinky Dog Dash, rather than the 45 minutes or more that the folks behind you are.
In that first hour of park opening, you accomplish an incredible amount - Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s a small world and Haunted Mansion. When you’re finished, those well-fed folks who lingered at the hotel breakfast buffet are just getting to the park. Your grogginess is gone, and your kids’ ill moods from waking up earlier than they do for school have dissipated, transforming into smiles you’ll remember forever!
It’s Out of Sight to Stay On-Site
With more than 25 hotels on Walt Disney World property, there is an accommodation to fit your budget, vacation style and travel party size. Your Beyond Imagination Vacations agent will help you find the perfect resort for you!
If you’re looking for convenience, you’ll want a hotel that offers quick transportation to the parks. Because the less time you have to wait to get to the parks, the more time you have to enjoy the parks!
If you have little ones, you might want to consider a stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort which is the only hotel within walking distance to Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World’s signature park. The Contemporary, along with Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is also situated on the Monorail line, Disney’s railway-in-the-sky transport service to Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort offers monorail service to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and the hotel is within walking distance to Magic Kingdom.
Friends on a group getaway may want to consider staying at Yacht Club, Beach Club or the Boardwalk which offer walking paths and boat service to Hollywood Studios and Epcot, home to Disney’s popular season festivals including Food & Wine.
In addition to proximity, these Deluxe-tiered hotels offer club service with benefits including the opportunity to purchase three additional FastPass+ selections 90 days before arrival. Talk about a jumpstart on a Walt Disney World vacation!
But you don’t have to stay at a Deluxe hotel to take advantage of exclusive benefits like early access to booking FastPass+, reservations for accelerated queues, for popular rides and attractions. Guests of all Disney’s resorts can book three FastPass+ selections per day 60 days before the start of their vacation, while the FastPass+ booking window for guests staying off-property commences at the 30-day mark. That month makes a huge difference in the ability to secure a coveted Flight of Passage FastPass+.
Furthermore, only on-property guests can take advantage of Extra Magic Hours when one park opens one hour earlier or closes later. During this period, select attractions are open and have shorter wait times as guests staying outside of Walt Disney World property cannot partake.
FastPass+ This, Don’t FastPass+ That
Hopefully, you’ve already read our blog post covering the ins and outs of making FastPass+ selections prior to your trip. If not, you can read it here.
In this post, we encourage you to use your FastPass+ wisely. What does that mean, exactly? You want to reserve FastPass+ for attractions with traditionally long wait times, rather than for attractions with short standby lines. For example in Magic Kingdom, you wouldn’t want to utilize a FastPass+ on Mickey’s PhilharMagic which is showing a five-minute wait as we write this post and has a high guest capacity as the movie is shown in a theatre. Rather, you’d want to use a FastPass+ for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train which is showing a 105-minute wait at the time of this post and has ridiculously long standby lines throughout the day.
Standby wait time for Slinky Dog Dash in Hollywood Studios - at 8:54 AM. You definitely want to FastPass+ this attraction.
Additionally, you want to schedule your FastPass+ selections for the morning hours because after you use the three FastPass+ you made in advance of your trip, you can select more - one at a time. If you reserve your initial FastPass+ for the afternoon hours, you’ll have fewer hours to grab a fourth, fifth, sixth FastPass+ once on site.
Confused? That’s why you have a Beyond Imagination Vacations agent on your side!
Plan on Planning
Again, you’re on vacation. With school, afterschool activities and work, you barely have enough time to take a vacation. And now we’re telling you that you have to plan your days on vacation before you depart. You want to have a strategy before you even cross the park entrance to avoid roaming aimlessly, eating up valuable time looking for a certain attraction when you should be enjoying the attraction. For example, experience the attractions and entertainment in a certain section of the park before heading to another area. You don’t want to waste time and get tired walking from Frontierland to Tomorrowland back to Frontierland unnecessarily. Even with a smart touring plan, you’ll get enough steps in!
How do you develop such a plan? With the expertise of a Beyond Imagination Vacations agent, planning will be taken care of for you. By learning of your interests, vacation style and preferences, we’ll help you plan the perfect day for each day of your time at Walt Disney World. We’ll ensure that you maximize your days in the parks and outside of the park gates. If your travel party can’t withstand nonstop walking and attractions, we’ll build in time for breaks. Maybe head back to the hotel for naps and pool time!
Plan to wake up early, use FastPass+ wisely, stay on-site and take breaks - like at one of the pools at Disney’s Pop Century!
Welcome Spontaneity
Wait a second! Isn’t that contrary to having a plan and sticking to said plan. Maybe, but some of the most magical moments at Walt Disney World are unplanned. While you’re walking from one attraction to the next, your route may be blocked by a parade. Instead of feeling frustrated, enjoy that moment. Wave to your favorite characters as they pass by.
While taking a break from riding attractions and catching shows at Epcot, we ran into Alice in Wonderland - what a delightful surprise!
Or when your kids are getting grumpy because they don’t want to walk anymore, stop for an iconic Disney snack - Dole Whip Float always turns that frown upside down. It’s a great opportunity to be together, talk about what you’ve already experienced and what you’re most looking forward to seeing next. That’s what vacation is all about anyway, right - reconnecting!