Things To Know Before Going To Disney World

Planning a trip to Disney is not easy, especially if you’ve never been before. There are so many things to consider, such as what FastPasses you’ll get, dining reservations, and even how long you should stay. I have been to Disney many times, and since my first trip, I’ve learned a lot about planning trips to Disney! Here are ten things I wish I knew before my first Disney trip, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes I did.

Things To Know Before Your First Disney Trip

Choose a resort based on where you’ll be the most.

There are four main Disney theme parks and two water parks. Whether you are staying on property or offsite, you will want to pay close attention to where the parks are in relation to your resort. Many resorts could end up being only 15 minutes away, but 45 minutes from the park by bus.

It will be hot in Disney almost all year around at.

Orlando is warm, no matter what time of the year you visit. It will get cooler from December – February, but that’s about it.

You can find free water in the parks if you know where to look.

In every Disney park, you can get a free cup of water if you ask! The counter service locations will fill a cup for you at no cost, and the table service restaurants don’t charge for water. If you are out in the parks, you can also find water bottle refill stations and fountains as well.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing.

You will easily walk two or more miles each day while you are at Disney! This is why it’s not only important to bring comfortable shoes, but clothing as well. It gets hot and humid in Florida, so be ready for a long walk in the very sweltering heat.

Go to the parks at rope drop, if you can make it.

Rope drop will be surprisingly empty when the parks open! This means you can walk onto some of the big-ticket attractions such as Soarin’ or Thunder Mountain Railroad! This will save you a ton of time in lines, and you can even enjoy the parks with a smaller crowd.

Leave plenty of time for transportation.

Transportation takes a long time while you are at Disney! Between unloading and loading guests onto the various transportation and waiting for it to arrive, you could spend easily a half an hour! Leave more time than you think you need to ensure you don’t miss a FastPass or dining reservation.

It will always rain at Disney.

Disney is in Florida, and it rains almost every day in Florida! Make sure to bring rain gear and expect it to rain at least once while you are at Disney. Disposable ponchos will be your best friend.

Download the My Disney Experience App before you head to Disney.

This will give you access to reservations on the go! It will also allow you to plan your trip and keep track of your reservations while you’re at the parks. It’s not required, but this will be a time saver!

Book your fast pass reservations as early as you can.

As soon as your FastPass and dining reservation window opens, start booking! Hard to get reservations will fill up fast, and you don’t want to miss your opportunity for that special meal or ride experience.

You don’t have to buy photographer photos to get your magical moments.

Photographers are more than willing to take a picture on your phone if you ask them! You will still have to stand while they take their photos, but they will also take them on your phone too.

There is always something magical about your first trip to Disney! While I had a fantastic first visit, hopefully, these tips and tricks will help you avoid some of the mistakes I made on my first visit.