So, you are headed to Disney? I am so excited for you, it is one of our most favorite places to go. It is full of wonder and excitement for all ages. The most magical Disney day requires a bit of preparation and planning.
Park Opening Times
Each Disney Park will have different hours of operation. There can even be specific times for guests that are staying at the Disney Resort. Be sure to check out these times well before the night you plan head out for your Disney Day. The park opening times will help you decide when to leave your hotel and what time you hope to arrive at the park.
If you are staying onsite and using Disney transportation this is key to planning your day. In our experience the wait for a bus to one of the parks for opening is always pretty long. We always aim to give ourselves at least an extra hour when trying to get at a park for rope drop. If you are heading to the park first thing in the morning make sure you know where you are headed. It is so busy and chaotic that you need to have a plan to know which way you are walking. If you don’t it will feel so overwhelming and end your magic before it even starts.
Disney Day Character Greets
I think that everyone may feel differently about the character greets at Disney but we try to make sure we include them. After your kids are over about 10 it may not be as exciting for them but we aren’t there yet. Stopping and waiting for the characters when it is raining or really hot outside give the chance for a much needed break while waiting. The magical moments that happen with these are just so overwhelming and worth the wait. We try not to spend more than 45 min in line for the character meets though.
The first time my oldest went to Disney was when she was 3 and the highlight was meeting Ariel. Fast forward to her going back, she told Ariel that she had been there before and Ariel responded with “oh I thought I recognized you”. I can’t tell you how special this made her feel.
When we look back on our vacation photos the kids just love looking at them with the characters. During these meet and greets we take the opportunity to have them sign something such as a book, pillow case or picture frame as a memorable keepsake. My tip would be don’t get too caught up in all the rides to forget the magic of the characters.
Eating in The Park at Disney
We are big fans of the Disney Dining plan it is just so convenient. Although the past few times we have gone it just hasn’t been available. As a family of 6 we try to balance between not spending too much money but enjoying the convenience of the food in the parks. We always pack quick snacks like crackers, granola bars and even apples to have in a pinch.
One thing I can say is that even with the Quick Service food options the food servings are enough to share. Our younger kids will usually share one kids meal and our older kids can share a meal. Even my husband and I can share depending on what we both feel like.
That being said we do have our favorites that we just have to include when visiting Disney. We all just love the BBQ food in Animal Kingdom. When we don’t have the dining plan we will choose one or 2 sit down service meals that we really enjoy over our stay.
Hands down the best value for us is the refillable popcorn bucket. We fill this up so many times and get such good use out of it. And lets face it the popcorn is just delicious so who wouldn’t keep filling it!?
Resting on your Day at Disney
Okay- if you have been you know and if you haven’t you will learn fast Disney is exhausting. I am an adult and I get so tired from walking around, and dealing with the heat and all the people. It is important to keep in mind that your kids will feel it even more so plan for that. Take breaks! Offer opportunities for them to sit. When we have meals we sit and eat rather than continuing walking through the park while eating.
There are so many areas both indoors and outdoors to take a bit of a break. My advise is to make sure that you do it to prevent meltdowns from everyone. One of our favorite places to relax for a few minutes is the misting water near Aladdin’s Magic Carpets or the Casey Jr. Splash and Soak station both in Magic Kingdom. It is a nice place for the adults to cool off a bit on a hot day. My younger kids have spent so much time here while the bigger kids were on rides.
Planning your Time At The Park
If you are not staying at Disney it may be harder to leave the park and come back but if you can it is always a nice option. Most times we stay on the Disney resort making it a bit easier to take off for a bit. We usually try and rope drop whichever park we are starting at for the day. Typically we stay until around lunch or early afternoon.
Then we go back to the hotel for a swim and then a bit of a rest. We have dinner and then head back out.
Quite often we stay until the parks close. We have never done a full open to close park day with our kids, that just sounds way too daunting and exhausting to me! We have even had one of us stay at the hotel with the younger kids and then the other takes the older ones to the park. This is something extra special for everyone and something we try and do at least once each time that we go.
Fireworks and Shows
So one of the great things about a Disney day is the entertainment comes in so many different ways. From rides to characters, food, shows and magical fireworks you can literally get it all. But also ask yourself if you need to. I always say every time we go that we need to watch one of the parades because they are so fun. But do we need to watch all of them? Probably not.
The same goes for the fireworks. If you are at Disney for multiple days choose one night to watch them and then sk
ip it the rest. In our experiences this is the best time to get on rides that typically have the longest waits. Now if you are only there for one day then do not skip the fireworks they are truly spectacular.
The same goes for the shows in Animal Kingdom and Epcot, they are so beautifully done and I would always say check them out at least once. But once you have watched it try and sneak on a few rides while everyone else is enjoying the show.
There are usually 2 parades a day. I wouldn’t miss this, choose one though you don’t need to see both. They are so well done and just a great experience for the whole family. We fill our popcorn bucket and find a good spot and enjoy the show.
I hope that your Disney day is full of magic and wonder. Check out Blog – Together We Can Travel for more helpful tips on traveling with your family.
