- My family of four are Disney lovers who've been to eight Disney parks around the world.
- Through preparation and planning we save considerable time and money.
- We're at the park an hour before it opens, and we plan which rides we want to go on.
I live in Australia with my wife and twin sons, who are 16. I grew up being a huge Disney fan, but the cost of and distance to the theme parks made them prohibitive to visit. So I was excited when I finally made my first trip to a Disney park.
In 2018, the four of us visited Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Since then we've been to seven Disney parks around the world, including four in Orlando, Florida, and two in Tokyo. To make the most of these trips, we put a lot of time into planning. It may seem like overkill, but doing the work before the vacation saves us a lot of time and money and makes it a far more enjoyable experience.
Planning takes time, but it can literally pay off — and the knowledge stays with you
Disney is fun, but it can be an exhausting and expensive experience if you don't plan.
There's a lot of free advice on the internet, and the "Disney family" loves to help each other. I spend a lot of time reading articles on Disney blogs such as the Disney Tourist Blog and Disboards forums. When I was a Disney novice, I discovered these websites and asked lots of questions of experienced parkgoers. Now I return to pay it forward.
Taking a family to Disney is expensive, so it's worth looking for discounts. I've learned that many travel operators specializing in Disney have better prices than the Disney website — by subscribing to their newsletters, you'll be the first to hear of discounts.
I've found that Undercover Tourist offers tickets to Disney parks that are cheaper than Disney direct, as well as better rates on accommodations. It's authorized to sell Disney products, which alleviated fears I had about buying from a third party.
Some hotels also offer perks for guests that can be massive advantages, such as earlier entry to the parks or extended hours in the evening. When we went to Tokyo, we chose a hotel that gave us a 15-minute head start over other guests — this may seem like a short amount of time, but it was a huge deal. In Orlando, staying at a Disney hotel that offers free, convenient transportation to the parks can also save travel time.
We learned to plan which rides we want to go on
The Disney parks are massive, and it can be hard to do all rides and attractions, so it's best to prepare a list of priorities. You can watch YouTube videos to assess what the attractions are like — just be aware that some videos may spoil the surprise. You can also check out spoiler-free reviews.
Once you know what you want to do, you can map out your itinerary. Many websites have optimal itineraries that can be tweaked for families, couples, or large groups. As a family, we review these and make a detailed plan to ensure we all get to take in our favorite rides and shows.
Of course, even the best-made plans may need to be adjusted. You can download apps that consider live waiting times to optimize your itinerary even when you're at the park. Too many people walk around with no plan, resulting in wasted time.
Our ideal itinerary starts early
The early bird gets the worm, especially at Disney. The temptation to sleep in on your vacation may be strong, but the first hour or two at a Disney park are prime for knocking out many rides.
I like to arrive an hour before "rope drop" — the term Disney fans use to refer to when the park opens — to ensure we're in front of the crowds. Often Disney parks open earlier than advertised, and so while others are getting ready or eating breakfast at their hotel, you can be on your first ride. The side of the park's entrance you stand at is crucial, as you'll want to be as close as possible to your first ride, so check the map to see where that is.
We love the excitement when Disney opens, and we act like Olympic racewalkers getting to our first ride — the adrenaline we get serves as our caffeine. We can ride three or four popular rides in the first hour.
Our early arrival for rope drop places us ahead of the pack — others might wait one or two hours at the same rides where we experienced no wait.
We have snacks for breakfast so we don't waste time at a hotel buffet or restaurant. In Anaheim and Orlando, we ordered supplies in advance from Amazon so we have a store in our rooms. In Tokyo, we stocked up at 7-Eleven.
By following a plan and being well placed during rope drop, you can cross off most of your priority rides and then earn the well-deserved break of a sit-down lunch.
It's also good to research when restaurants open reservations, as the most popular are booked out months in advance. For example, in Disney World Orlando, you can book 60 days before you arrive if you're staying in a Disney hotel — yet another advantage of choosing the right place to stay.
The average Disney parkgoer isn't aware of most tips and tricks to elevate your day. We've found that by researching and planning, we achieve everything we want to do while saving money and stressing less at the parks. It may seem like overkill before a vacation, but the payoff for those who prepare is enormous.
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