How to Have a Dream Disney World Trip - Going Somewhere In Life

Guess where I’ve been over 25 times? It’s the most magical place on Earth! Yes, of course, it’s Disney World! Most of the time, I’ve been with my family during our yearly vacation. I’ve also traveled there with my boyfriend’s family. I’m not sure the next time I will get to go as I’m told I will now have to pay as an adult, so if anyone would like to take me on a trip to Disney World, please do! Just kidding, of course, but maybe not?

I had the wonderful privilege of enrolling in a course at Indiana University called Disney: Tech, Tourism, & Leisure, where we spoke about how Disney World theme parks employ technology to instill morals in its attractions, performances, and experiences. We had the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World together as a class at the end of the semester to put what we had learnt into practice. We participated in a variety of programs offered by Disney World’s educational program while we were there, as well as a full-day behind-the-scenes tour. If you attend Indiana University, I definitely recommend taking this course since it provides a unique viewpoint on Disney World. I thoroughly loved my time with the class, including the trip!

Come see what I’ve uncovered at Disney World, where magic can be found around every corner!

Where to Stay

My family normally stays at a Moderate hotel, like the Port Orleans (French Quarter or Riverside) or Coronado Springs. Coronado Springs at Walt Disney World is my favorite moderate-level resort. The grounds are lovely, with the lake reflecting the surroundings throughout the day and glittering brilliantly at night. These newly renovated rooms are efficient, contemporary, and even a touch Disney World-inspired. The primary swimming pool is themed to be located atop the remains of an old Mayan pyramid. I normally like to have one non-Disney World park day where I can swim part of the day. Also, the majority of Disney World Resorts provide movies seven days a week. This resort has several lounges, sit-down restaurants, fast-casual choices, and grab-and-go alternatives. Toledo–Tapas, Steak & Seafood offers exquisite dining with breathtaking views in Gran Destino Tower. Make a reservation for one night of your stay at this table service restaurant!

I’ve stayed at other hotels in different price ranges, but whichever you pick, I highly recommend staying at a Disney World resort.

Random Tips

Visit during off season and not on a holiday if you want to get on as many rides as possible. If you want to experience the holidays, you must realize that you will not get on every ride you want. You will have to prioritize. For me, I don’t think the holidays are as worth it if you are visiting for the first time. I would rather do as much as possible. But for someone who has been already, the holidays do have spectacular decor, food, and special events!
Try Mickey-shaped snacks! My favorites are Mickey waffles, which are available everywhere. Before a fantastic day at the parks, my personal favorite place to grab them is at our Disney World Resort quick-service breakfast. Also, I recommend eating breakfast before the park every day.
One of my favorite things is that you may acquire a complimentary celebration button at resort guest relations offices whether it’s your first time there, you’re celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, getting married, a graduation, or any other occasion. Once when I was wearing a birthday pin, I was given a free dessert at a sit-down restaurant. Also, the TV displayed “Happy birthday Brett & Jordan” when we arrived in our room. The Disney World Cast Members (staff) try to make your visit extra special if you’re celebrating something!
I mentioned this earlier, but definitely take a non-park day to go swimming and exploring Disney Springs!
If you are visiting for the first time, especially with younger kids, it’s worth it to book one character dining meal. This way, you won’t have to wait in any long lines for pictures. For example, you could do this on your rest day for breakfast since you will have more time!
You should book dining 60 days in advance! While some eateries won’t be fully booked 60 days in advance, others are immediately booked up as reservations become available. Try to schedule such reservations near the conclusion of your vacation if you want to get one of those most sought-after ones (think: Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table). If your vacation is from the 14th to the 20th of a month, for example, anybody whose trip precedes yours but includes your early days will have been able to book dining reservations for the 14th and 15th 60 days prior — precisely, before you can even start accessing dining reservations.
MagicBands are no longer free, so bring old ones if you still have them. New ones could be a souvenir from your trip or you can use your My Disney Experience App for your tickets.
My favorite Disney World souvenirs are Pins and yes I still have mine from when I was a little kid. I also participate in Pin Trading with Cast Members
If coffee is your thing, visit a Starbucks in a Disney World park. Why I’m really directing you there is for the gorgeous, unique cups that Disney World only sells! I adore the unique Disney World Starbucks cups, no joke, and I wish I bought one!

Schedule Overviews

This itinerary for exploring the parks contains certain assumptions. The first is that you’ll be there when the park opens since you want to make the most of your day. Another is that you want to see and experience as much as you can. Your ability may vary depending on the ages in your group because these itineraries make for very busy and lengthy days. The order in which you complete the rides and attractions can be somewhat flexible, but the overall suggested sequence of activities should adhere to a similar formula.

Thanks to the launch of Disney Early Theme Park Entry, rope drop at any of the Disney parks is now considerably different. It is critical that you comprehend Disney Early Entry and how it can affect your trip if you haven’t already. The short explanation is that certain rides may be accessed 30 minutes prior to park opening for those staying at a Disney resort. Therefore, Disney resort guests can ride the rides at 8:30 am if the park opens at 9:00 am. This means that the only people who can ever benefit from rope drop are visitors to a Disney resort. To avoid waiting in line, arrive at the location at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time. You can achieve more in a morning the closer you are to the front of the queue.

For those of you familiar with FastPass, it has been replaced with Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes access, which costs money. By making a reservation, you may effectively skip the line if you have them. Lightning Lane entry charges vary based on the attraction and day, whereas Disney Genie+ is $15 per person per day. However, I wanted to offer you a general concept of how you can accomplish anything you want to do without spending extra money. You may still choose to get Disney Genie+ or Lightning Lane access. If you do, book it at 7 am the day of your visit!

I have experience using both, and to be honest, I hate it. Disney has made it very difficult to get on every ride, where it used to be much easier with FastPasses. I didn’t love Genie+ because the rides that I actually cared about sold out pretty fast, and you aren’t guaranteed the rides you want, even though you are paying extra. However, the most popular rides are not included in the Genie+ Lightning Lanes; they are separate in the Individual Lightning Lanes. We only bought these because it was super busy during Christmas time when we visited. I would try to get on the ride first with Rope Drop. If you are visiting during a holiday, you may want to pay for these services.

Animal Kingdom in 1 Day Itinerary

Animal Kingdom is much more than just a glorified zoo, despite the misconception that many visitors have about it. Here is my suggestion for a perfect 1-day schedule for an enjoyable day at Animal Kingdom.

With one major exception, I don’t believe Disney Genie+ in Animal Kingdom should cost more. There are simply not enough rides to make it worthwhile. There’s really no need for it if you employ a sound Animal Kingdom approach, either. The significant exception I alluded to is Flight of Passage. Purchase Lightning Lane access for Flight of Passage if you can’t rope drop it and the line is too lengthy.

Morning

Flight of Passage: I love Avatar! Even if you haven’t seen Avatar, it is still one of the best rides! Every time I have the privilege of riding Flight of Passage, my legs feel like jello. The attraction vehicle BREATHES under you. Literally! Who gives an attraction that much attention? (Of course, only Disney.) This ride’s sights, sounds, scents, and pictures are unlike anything I’ve ever encountered outside of reality. For the length of the journey, fiction turns into reality here.
Na’vi River Journey (Unless the wait is more than 30 minutes; if it is, wait till later): Basically, Na’vi River Journey is It’s a Small World with the Avatar theme. Everyone should attempt to ride it at least once because it is a visually amazing experience. You probably won’t need to ride it again after that first time.
Expedition Everest: The larger the roller coaster, the better for me. Here, Expedition Everest is not an exception. I have and can ride it repeatedly without getting tired of it. It’s a fantastic attraction to visit because you may frequently ride it again as a walk-on attraction using the Single Rider Line!
Kilimanjaro Safari: Kilimanjaro Safari can be really successful or unsuccessful, I’ll confess it. Even still, it is one of the top attractions because when it is a hit, it is an HIT. I strongly advise you to avoid midday when riding the Safari. The animals are also sheltering from the heat because it is simply too hot for them. The best run I’ve ever had was in the pouring rain, however I’ve also had some amazing ones early in the morning (before 11) and at dusk.
Dinosaur: The only good ride in all of Dinoland is Dinosaur. Although it’s a fun ride, little children may find it frightening. The ride really “throws” you around in the dark the entire time.

Afternoon

Lunch at Satu’li Canteen (11-11:30 am to avoid lines): Satu’li Canteen is my favorite Quick Service restaurant! There are exclusive options at Satu’li Canteen that you won’t find at any other parks. Aside from that, the meal is quite reasonably priced, the theming of the restaurant is spot on, and it has excellent selections for individuals with particular dietary needs. My brother has so many food allergies and he loves this place! He gets a meal that’s different from things he can normally eat, and it’s delicious! I build a different bowl each time and they’re all amazing!
Festival of the Lion King: In my opinion, Lion King is indisputably the best Disney animated film. The Lion King Festival is a 30-minute live stage production with planned start times throughout the day. It’s a nice location to rest and relax for a while, but it’ll keep you hooked for the duration of the show. This performance has it all: audience participation (which I always loved being the center of attention as a kid), massive animatronics, fantastic singing and performing, flying Tumble Monkeys, acrobatics, and much more. Near the show, there are sometimes street performers!
It’s Tough to Be a Bug: I find this to be a cute film, although youngsters might find it a little unsettling. When I was young, I ran out of the theater. Now I love taking people that have never been to see their reaction. Given that it is a 4D experience, certain surprises will pop out at you and may terrify you. Also, it’s located in the Tree of Life!
Kali River Rapids: It’s possible to get completely saturated from head to toe in this attraction. Maybe not. You simply can’t know. Consider packing flip flops for the family to wear on the ride before changing back into your regular shoes, if you decide to ride it. Sometimes I wear a poncho because I don’t care if people judge me for it. I don’t get embarrassing water marks on my clothes and I stay clean from probably dirty water!
Maharajah Jungle Trek and Gorilla Expedition Falls: These two attractions provide the impression of a fantastic zoo; the degree of attention done into the trails and the exhibits is outstanding.

Evening

Dinner at Yak & Yeti (4:30 pm in order to ride more rides with shorter times): You are missing out if you haven’t eaten here. The atmosphere, people, and cuisine are consistently good. There’s something for everyone, from their savory meal to the superb sweets and specialty cocktails. It’s my brother’s favorite since it’s the first place he’s been able to have Asian food with all of his food allergies. Therefore, be sure to include this on your list of things to do when visiting Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. You won’t be let down…
At dusk, go on a Kilimanjaro safari.
In complete darkness, ascend Expedition Everest.
Explore Pandora.
Ride Flight of Passage right before closing.

Animal Kingdom Advice

The rear walkway between Pandora and Africa is frequently peaceful if you need to escape the masses for a short time.
In Africa, you may purchase a Dole Whip. I’ve said enough.
Sometimes the park opens before Kali River Rapids does.
Gorilla Falls Expedition and the Maharajah Jungle Trek typically close before the rest of the park. Be careful to schedule these earlier in the day.
The colder morning hours and nightfall are when the animals are the most active. Visit animal-based attractions if you want to have a better experience with animals.
Children may enrich their day at Animal Kingdom for free with the Wilderness Explorers program.

Epcot in 1 Day Itinerary

Compared to all the other parks, Epcot is special. It’s simple to become overwhelmed with the rides, festivals, nations, and cuisine. The truth is that Epcot offers a wide variety of activities. I’ve been to different Epcot festivals, and I highly recommend going during one.

A word of caution: Epcot involves a lot of walking. You have to zigzag the park to get to attractions with shorter queues or to break up long periods in World Showcase. However, I will try to keep the walking to a minimum and write this from my experience entering at the Main Entrance, not the International Plaza. Always check the waits for rides and if they are too long, skip it and come back later. Also, in Epcot, if I’m having trouble going into Remy’s without an exorbitant wait, I’d probably be more tempted to get the Lightning Lane access.

Please take note that I am still unsure of how Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will affect this. I don’t know if a standby line will be made available. Currently, you must join a virtual queue through the My Disney Experience app, so this will change the itinerary depending on the time of your ride reservation.