My friends Liam and Shell are visiting the east coast of the USA next week and as part of their trip have 6 nights in Orlando, Florida. This is a place that I love. Some may call it a guilty pleasure, but I don’t feel guilty about loving Disney. I love to travel and visit cultural and interesting places all over the world…but I also love the pure escapism and magic of DisneyWorld.
I was last in DisneyWorld in May 2013 with my family (I am the youngest of the family at 27!), which was a different experience to my previous visits. This time around we stayed in a friends house in Kissimmee as we were four adults, and sharing a pokey Disney hotel room would have led to a murder! Staying offsite in a private residence does mean that you are 100% reliant on a car. You can’t walk anywhere in this area which is the biggest advantage to staying onsite in a Disney hotel. They run free buses all day to the parks which means that as a group you don’t all have to decide on the same place at the same time.
Having to use a car to get anywhere also means that you have to pay to park at all the Disney parks. At $17 per day, it is pricey if you are just popping in for an afternoon. A sneaky tip that we were told was that you can park for free at the Boardwalk to visit the bars and restaurants. From here you are within walking distance around the lake to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
I have always had a ticket for the length of time that I have been in Orlando, I would not even consider buying individual tickets for each park as they are so expensive. Disney often do offers for 2 week tickets for the price of 1 or something similar, so when planning your trip keep an eye out for these.
This last visit was out of school holidays (and also baking summer heat), so we got around everything a lot quicker than we had done in the past. Keep in mind that during school holidays queues can be hours.
Top Tips
- Check the opening times for the time that are visiting and plan your days in advance so that you don’t miss out on anything. Some shows and parades are not every day so keep this in mind.
- Download the WDW app for Android and iPhone to see the show times and opening times for all parks. There is free WiFi in all parks so don’t worry about data charges.
Magic Kingdom
A great place to start for any Disney park virgins. It’s got the castle, the parades, the lights, the magic! Don’t miss the parades, they are my favourite thing about Magic Kingdom, particularly the light show on the castle before the fireworks. This is guaranteed to be the highlight for any Disney fan.
Epcot
I think that Epcot is the most dated of all parks but I guess that it is difficult to make a park based around the future of the world and keep it current.
- If heading straight to the World Showcase in the morning ensure that you go round in a clockwise direction otherwise you will miss all the shows and character meetings.
- Get a good spot for the Illuminations show which takes place in the middle of the central lake. This can be a long wait to get a good spot so make sure to take snacks!
- Use your fast pass on Soarin’ as this has the biggest queues
Hollywood Studios
- Head straight to Rock ‘n Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, grab a fast pass for one and then to queue at the other.
- Don’t miss the live skits that take place along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard throughout the day, they for me are the highlight and what really makes the park special.
- Other attractions that are not to be missed are The Great Movie Ride and The Backlot Tour
Plan your time to make sure that you can get in a queue in time for Fantasmic. They offer dining packages at a number of the restaurants which guarantee seats in the arena. This can be a lifesaver when queues peak in the summer.
Animal Kingdom
Head straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris to see the animals first thing when they are most awake. In the afternoon heat they can be very sleepy and hide away from prying eyes. By taking the slightly longer anticlockwise route you can pick up a fast pass for Everest en route. When you return to Asia for Everest don’t miss out on the Kali River Rapids, a great way to cool off in the heat!
- Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo – The Musical are both great shows which get very busy, so be sure to plan in your showtimes.
Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach
If you have days to spare, visit both parks as they offer different slides and rides, but my personal choice would be Typhoon Lagoon, as the 6ft waves are pretty unbeatable. In the summer make sure to get there early to ensure that you can find a sun lounger in a good spot, or if you are feeling flush, you can pay for the use of towels, a locker and a guaranteed lounger.
Nomad Travel Tips 