Rookie Tips about a Disney Trip Part Two
I recently offered a few tips for first-time guests at Walt Disney World.
Realistically, those suggestions barely scratch the surface of what you need to know.
So, here is part two of my rookie tips for a Disney trip.
You’ll Eat Phenomenally Well…with Some Planning
If I mentioned Teppan Edo or Be Our Guest or Satu’li Canteen to a Disney park veteran, they’d start salivating. It’s almost Pavlovian.
We associate delicious food with all these places and start reminiscing about dishes we’ve eaten there in the past.
For you, these names mean nothing, though. As a first-time guest, your perception of theme park food likely comes from places like Six Flags.
You associate theme park cuisine with cheap burgers and nuggets, greasy foods that taste like a waste of $15.
Walt Disney World works MUCH differently. Park officials have hired Top Chefs and Master Chefs and other celebrity chefs to craft these menus.
Image Credit: @morimotoasia/Twitter
In fact, a Top Chef winner worked as the head chef at a Disney Springs restaurant before the pandemic.
What I’m saying is that you need to recalibrate your expectations for your vacation.
Photo: Disney Springs
Your first step is to glance at the best foods at Walt Disney World. Many of these restaurants accept Advanced Dining Reservations.
You can book them 60 days before your trip…and should do so! Places like Be Our Guest and Sci-Fi Dine-In book almost immediately.
Photo: Disney
By booking these reservations, you’ll go a long way in ensuring that you eat like royalty during your trip!
Every Park Has Its Own Quirks
Here’s another aspect that’s difficult to conceptualize.
Photo: Matt Stroshane
Imagine your middle school football stadium seating. Now, contrast that to a college football stadium that can fit 100,000 people inside.
At Walt Disney World, Disney’s Hollywood Studios counts as the middle school stadium. It’s a small park where you’ll never get lost.
All the roads inevitably lead to the same places, and you won’t even need to walk much to get there.
Conversely, Disney’s Animal Kingdom doubles as an excellent place to practice for your next half-marathon. This place is 580 acres in size!
Photo: Disney
Contrast that to Hollywood Studios, which is only 135 acres big. So, you’d expect larger crowds at Animal Kingdom, right? WRONG!
Hollywood Studios features several new attractions starring characters from Toy Story and Star Wars….and, oh yeah, Mickey and Minnie Mouse!
You’ll encounter many more people per capita and wait longer to ride the best stuff at the park.
Meanwhile, the only rides at Animal Kingdom that require significant waits are the two at Pandora – The World of Avatar.
Photo Credit: Matt Stroshane, Disney
At EPCOT at Magic Kingdom, you’ll find two very well-designed parks where the traffic patterns make perfect sense.
However, you’ll want to do different things at each park. For example, at Magic Kingdom, you’re there for the rides!
When you visit EPCOT, you’ll want to explore the pavilions and sample the exquisite cuisine, the best at Walt Disney World.
Over time, you’ll understand the quirks of each park. As a rookie, you may feel a bit overwhelmed, though.
Know Where You’re Going to Avoid Backtracking
Yes, I said that Animal Kingdom covers 580 acres. Also, due to the climate demands of the animals who live here, it’s several degrees warmer than other parks.
So, believe me when I say that the last thing you want to do here is walk more than needed.
Photo: David Roark
I’ve made this mistake a few times, and it’s caused my ankles to swell to the size of grapefruits. That’s neither a joke nor hyperbole.
I have pictures I show to friends whenever I want to skeeve them out.
Thankfully, you can avoid backtracking by understanding the power of Disney tech.
You should install My Disney Experience on your phone before you go. This app includes a mapping feature that will save you so much stress on your trip.
In fact, that’s not the only tech that will save you some aggravation…
Disney Genie Helps
In October 2021, park officials introduced Disney Genie, the world’s first theme park virtual assistant. Think Alexa or Siri, only exclusively for Disney parks!
Credit: Disney
Disney has embedded this app inside My Disney Experience. So, you download one when you grab the other.
When Disney officials planned the virtual assistant, they had you specifically in mind.
Credit: Disney
Honestly, frequent Disney guests won’t get as much out of Disney Genie. Instead, it specifically targets people who have never visited the parks.
For you, Disney Genie should help a ton. First, it’ll suggest all the attractions close to you, saving you from excessive walking.
Photo: Disney
You can also pick all the attractions you want to experience during your visit. Disney Genie will create a customizable day plan for you.
If something on the itinerary doesn’t work or you want to spend time elsewhere, Disney Genie will update with a modified plan that’s just as good.
Credit: Disney
This app is like having the world’s foremost theme park expert in your back pocket!
The one thing you should keep in mind is that the virtual assistant will prioritize attractions near you and/or with short wait times.
So, these options aren’t always the best ones at the park. Still, during your first Disney visit, you should try to do everything anyway. It’s all new to you!
Plenty to Do beyond the Parks
I don’t want to overwhelm you during your first Disney vacation. However, there’s something important you should know.
Disney offers plenty to do beyond the parks. In fact, it’s a strategy to entice some guests to stay out of the parks, thereby lessening crowds.
So, you’ll find a remarkable number of potential vacation options on the Disney campus, none of which requires you to step foot in a theme park.
Image Credit: Disney
For instance, you can play miniature golf at two official Disney courses…or you can play actual golf at a Disney course if that’s your preference.
One of the golf options at Disney is an actual PGA event at times!
Credit: Disney
At ESPN Wide World of Sports, you’ll discover a variety of competitions. They range from Pee-Wee football to college championships.
The Disney campus also hosts two water parks, both of which are among the five most popular ones in the world.
Credit: Disney
If you can find the free time, you should definitely try each one at some point in your life. The theming at these water parks will blow your mind.
Disney’s Blizzard Beach is a visual winter wonderland that may disorient you during the hot Florida summers. You’ll see snow in 100-degree weather!
At Disney Springs, you can shop to your heart’s content and also spend time at a bowling alley, a nightclub, or on a giant balloon.
There’s also an Amphicar experience wherein you drive a car into the water, where it thankfully floats/sails.
Image Credit: Disney
One of the best AMC Theatres in North America is also at Disney Springs.
Oh, and Disney owns and operates more than 20 resorts, all of which will impress you with their theming.
If you have the time to Resort Hop during your trip, you should do that, too!
