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by Cara Goldsbury, Author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World: How
to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer
So you’ve finally decided to head to Walt Disney World. With so much to see
and do, it’s important to come prepared. Here are some excellent tips to make
your trip one that will be remembered for a lifetime.
· Slow down and enjoy the magic. Resist the urge to see everything at
breakneck speed. You can’t possibly cover it all, so think of this as your first
trip to Disney, not your last. There will be time to pick up all the things you
missed on the next go-round.
· Plan ahead. Decide ahead of time what your priorities are and make a plan of
action.
· Get to the parks early! It’s amazing, particularly in busy season, how many of
the popular rides you can knock off before half the “World” gets out of bed.
· Take time for a rest in the middle of the day. Stay at one of the Magic
Kingdom or Epcot resorts, allowing a return in the middle of the day for a nap or
dip in the pool.
· Call exactly 90 days prior at 7 AM Orlando time for priority seating if
breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom is tops on your
child’s list. The only way you might get away with sleeping in and booking a bit
later for this highly coveted character breakfast is if you are traveling in
extremely slow season.
· Come prepared for an afternoon shower during the rainy summer months
even if the sky looks perfectly clear in the morning. Rent a locker to store
your raingear and circle back if skies start to look threatening. However, if
you’re caught unprepared, just about every store in the parks sells inexpensive
rain ponchos.
· Use Fastpass, Disney’s free, nifty timesaving device. It’s offered at all four
theme parks and is a great way to save hours of waiting in line. Just insert your
park pass in one of the machines located at each individual Fastpass attraction
and receive a ticket printed with a designated one-hour window in which you
may return and enter a special line with little or no waiting.
· Pre-arrange priority seating, Disney’s answer to dining reservations, by
calling 407-WDW-DINE. On arrival you’ll receive the next table available for
your party size, thus saving hours of frustration and waiting.
· Allow plenty of time to reach the theme parks each morning. It’s easy to
miss your breakfast priority seating is you don’t allocate enough time.
· Be spontaneous. If something catches your eye, even if it’s not on your daily
list of things to do, stop and explore. If not, you could miss something
wonderful.
· Realize the limitations of your children. If they’re tired, take a break. If their
feet hurt, get them a stroller (forget that they outgrew one years ago). If a ride
scares them don’t force the issue. Such precautions will make your day and the
day of other park visitors a lot less stressful.
· Bring pagers, 2-way radios, or cell phones to keep in touch if your party
plans on splitting up.
· Wear broken-in, comfortable footwear. Better yet, bring two pairs and rotate
them. Nothing is worse than blisters on your first day and then nursing them for
the remainder of your vacation.
Provided the following credit is given, you are welcome to reprint this
article for free.
Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World: How
to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer. Order by calling 1-800-247-
6553, online at www.luxurydisneyguide.com, or at your local bookstore. You
can contact Cara at info@luxurydisneyguide.com.
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