Time For A Magical Disney Vacation

Anyone who knows me very well knows I have three loves. First love is my dear husband. Second love is all things pink. Third love is Disney. Disneyland. Disney movies. Disney princesses. Disney fruit snacks. Anything Disney, odds are I love it.

With that said, it should come as no surprise that I’ve had Disney on my mind a lot lately. It could be because I’m in great need of a vacation. It could be I’m just going through Disney withdrawals … it’s been more than a year since my last trip to a Disney park … It’s time for another round.

I figured, since I’ve got Disney in my brain, I’d put together a three-part series of Disney tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years. I hope you’re ready … this is going to be magical.

First things first, don’t plan your Disney vacation during peak travel times. Avoid the summer months, avoid Christmas and Thanksgiving, spring break and any other major holidays. The absolute worst time to go to Disneyland/Disney World is mid-October to mid-November. (Okay, that might be a lie. I only tell you that because that’s my favorite time to go and I don’t want everyone flocking to the parks making it crowded while I’m there.)

If at all possible, try to plan your trip during the off-season. Sure, you’ll have fewer hours at the park (they close early during off-season), but the lack of crowds makes it all worth it. One year when my family went to Walt Disney World, we snapped a picture (which I couldn’t find, or I would have posted it) of me in front of Splash Mountain. There was not a single person in the background. No the picture wasn’t zoomed in like crazy … it was just a wide, quick shot of me and Splash Mountain in the background. We walked right onto the ride (obviously) and rode three times before we had to get out of our log. It was beautiful.

When you get to the park, you’ll have to go through security first. I know, you’re remembering this post on airport security, aren’t you? Trust me, it’s not that bad. You walk up to the friendly security guard and let him/her take a look in your bag and that’s it. No shoe removal, no x-ray machines, just a quick look in your bag and you’re ready to go.

When the park opens, most people head to the big, favorite rides. You either need to get in front of them or go in the opposite directions. Here’s where people tend to head:

• Magic Kingdom: The ‘Mountains’ (Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain) and Fantasy Land (mostly Peter Pan and Dumbo)
• Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest
• Epcot: Soarin’ Over California and Test Track
• MGM/Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania (mostly), Rocking Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror

Don’t just follow the crowd of people. Take a minute (preferably before you head to the park) to decide where you want to head first and then go that way. Also, keep your eyes peeled. People tend to just jump in line to enter the park and don’t look around for empty turnstiles. Keep your eyes open and you’ll likely find an empty ‘line’ to get into the park. Don’t just jump in line like everyone else.

Take advantage of Fastpasses. Seriously, those things are amazing. For you Disney Noobs, a Fastpass is a really cool program Disney started a few years ago that basically reserves you a spot in a shorter line during a specific time period during the day. They have a limited number of Fastpasses available for select rides, but with a pass you basically get to skip the ride and walk right on. It’s really nice. Fastpasses go quick on the popular rides, so make sure you head to the Safari, Toy Story and the Mountains early to ensure you’ll get one.

And finally, if you are travelling to the park with little kids, don’t forget about Rider Swap. Disney doesn’t really advertise the Rider Swap program, but it’s an awesome one. Basically, Rider Swap lets you (as parents) ride the attraction with the older children while the other parent waits off with a child who isn’t big enough to ride. Once you get off, the parents can swap places and ride again. All you have to do is ask a Cast Member at the ride entrance about using Rider Swap and they’ll hook you up.

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