Disney World Tips for First Timers: 12 Things I Wish I Knew

Planning your first Disney World trip is one of the most exciting things you can do as a family and one of the most overwhelming. There is so much advice out there that the planning process itself can start to feel like a second job.

I get it. Our first Disney World trip was with three kids under 5, my youngest was 10 months old. I left that trip with a mental list of everything I wished I had known before we went. Not the complicated stuff. The basics. The things that would have saved us time, stress, and a few meltdowns (mine, not the kids’).

Fast forward over a decade and we are still going every year, now with teenagers who ride everything and have opinions about which Lightning Lane to book first and where to eat. These are the 12 tips I share with every friend who tells me they are planning their first Disney World trip. The ones that actually matter.

Ready to go deeper? Our Walt Disney World Guide covers everything from park guides to resort tips to Lightning Lane strategy- the complete starting point for your Disney planning.

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Tips for your First Disney World trip

My most important tip is that you should do as much research and planning as you can before you leave your house. Booking dining, tickets, and knowing the Lightning Lane rides you want are all important steps before you arrive.

Doing a little bit of research before you even leave your house will make for a much smoother trip. If your last visit to Disney World was in the 90s you may think you can just show up, and now that we visit often we can go with no plan, but I would never recommend it for your first visit.

Planning helps you see and do the things that are most important to your family. There are Disney World tips out there that have so many tips but my list narrows it down to the most important tips to help you plan an amazing Disney World vacation.

Purchase Park Tickets Before You Arrive

All guests need to have a park ticket to enter the park. If you would like to visit more than one park in one day a park hopper ticket is needed.

I suggest starting at the Walt Disney World website for ticket prices and then compare to other sites that offer discount Disney World tickets.

Always purchase your Disney tickets before you arrive at the Disney Resort. You do not want to waste any time sitting in the ticket line when you could be entering the park. (Park reservations are no longer needed.)

Most often we purchase our tickets and room as a bundle. By staying on-site and purchasing tickets you can often find special offers that can save you money.

Action Tip: Compare prices for your vacation on the Walt Disney World website and Undercover Tourist if you are looking for a package deal.

Stay On-Site at a Disney Resort

I always stay on-site when visiting Disney World. For one, I dislike sitting in traffic and if you stay off-site you will most likely have to deal with driving in Orlando traffic.

I like the feeling of being at the resorts and inside the “Disney Bubble”. People may think you save a lot of money staying off-site, but there are value resorts at Disney World that can make an on-site trip work. Read about our stay at the cheapest on-site Disney Resort.

The magic of staying on-site is really special for first time visitors. Even after multiple trips we always prefer staying on-site when visiting Disney World. Guests staying on-site have complimentary transportation to and from the Disney Parks and Disney Springs as well as early park admission.

Action Tip: Research a few Disney Resorts in different tiers to see prices and amenities to find the right one for you. Read this post to learn more about why staying at a Disney resort is a good choice.

Download the My Disney Experience App

The My Disney Experience App has everything you need to help plan your visit. You can book dining, check wait times, and make Lightning Lane Reservations. You will also want to check park hours and parade hours to plan your visit.

Download this as soon as you start planning. Create an account and link everyone in your travel party. Then start looking at dining options, and layout of the parks.

Action Tip: As soon as you make your reservation link it on the My Disney Experience app to start counting down to your vacation.

Arrive Early (Rope Drop)

If you can…arrive early!! This is my biggest tip!! You will get more done in the park in the first few hours when the crowds are low. We once went on 7 rides before 11:00am on a visit to Magic Kingdom.

Rope Drop is when you arrive at the park 30-40 minutes before official park opening time to enter the park as soon as they begin to allow guests in. There are usually a lot of people ready to be the first into the park but this allows you to stay ahead of crowds for the morning hours.

If you want to sleep in on vacation you can try to take advantage of evening crowds, but arriving early is the best way to get on a lot of attractions in a short time. I know this isn’t always feasible when visiting Disney World with teens or if you like to sleep in.

This is one Disney tip that is a non-negotiable for us. It is not always easy to wake up early, but it is the best way to get a lot done. The only time I would not do rope drop is if you really are not morning people and it will ruin your trip. All of my tips are only worth it if they work for you!

Action Tip: Check the theme park hours for each day of your trip, then go back 30-40 minutes- that is your park arrival time. From that time plan when you need to leave your resort. For example: Animal Kingdom opens at 7:30am for park guests. We want to arrive no later than 7:00am. We need to get on the bus by 6:30, leave our room by 6:15am. Animal Kingdom is always the earliest park day.

Become Familiar with How Lightning Lane Works

Lightning Lane allows guests to reserve time to skip the traditional line for select attractions. Lightning Lane is a paid add-on in addition to your theme park ticket and can be purchased on the My Disney Experience app.

Guests do not have to use Lightning Lane and can use the regular line to ride, for almost all of the rides. This may result in longer wait times but it won’t cost extra. If you are trying to save money on your Disney trip you may want to skip Lightning Lane, but I honestly would not recommend it for some parks.

Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot all benefit from adding Lightning Lane to your ticket, Animal Kingdom is not as important at the moment. This post has all the details and will help decide if Lightning Lane is a good choice for your trip: Easy Guide to Lightning Lane Pass at Disney World

Action Tip: Using the My Disney Experience App check the wait times a few times to see what rides have long wait times, these are the rides you should consider for Lightning Lane.

Don’t Visit Other Orlando Theme Parks

I know when visiting Orlando you will want to experience everything but I caution you for two reasons.

First it will save you money on tickets. Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World offer “more you play, less you pay” ticket pricing. This means you pay less per day the more days you visit. If you split up your trip you will not have this benefit.

Second there is a lot of planning that goes into a visit to Disney World and it can become overwhelming planning multiple parks. There is so much to see and do, you might feel as if you are spending a lot of money and rushing through things.

If it is part of your vacation plan, it can be done, but be sure to plan to rent a car or uber between the resorts. We did do a multi theme park visit and you can read it here: How We Did Disney & Universal in One Trip.

Action Tip: Focus on one theme park during this trip and decide how many days you want to spend at Disney World.

Do Your Research

Planning a Disney World vacation is like planning a visit to a city, it is that big. It helps to know what to expect at Disney World, do your research and plan before you arrive.

The more planning you do before you leave for your vacation, the easier it will be.

Disney Trip Planning Questions:

• What parks do you want to visit?
• Decide how long you want to visit. How many days will you go to the parks? Rest Days? Disney Springs?
• What rides, attractions, and shows do you want to see? Check out the Height Requirement for Rides and Attractions.
• Book Dining reservations. This can be made up to 60 days in advance.

It may seem like a lot of planning ahead of time, and it is! Planning before you leave your house will help you see and do everything you want to experience during your visit.

If you prefer to visit without planning ahead, you can, but you will wait in longer lines, may miss attractions, and may not secure dining reservations you are hoping for. I don’t suggest it for first time Disney World trips.

Action Tip: Read blogs, watch videos, and learn as much as you can about the things to do. Start a list of anything you want to include.

Don’t want to plan? Consider using a travel agent. Our friend Nikki at Royal Treatment Travel is amazing and has helped us plan and book many of our trips. She finds the best deals and her service is complimentary for most theme park vacations! It is a win-win. Learn more here.

Know your Travelers

Are you traveling with kids 5 and under? They may need a mid day nap and will probably do more character meet and greets.

Are you visiting Disney with teens? Thrill rides may be their first choice for rides.

Grandparents? Understand what types of ride restrictions they may have. During the planning process it is a good idea to talk to everyone and find out their expectations.

Some people in your group may want to sleep in while others want to be up before the sun. If you know what to expect from each other you will cut out a lot of confusion at the parks

If you are traveling with a large group expect that you may not be together all the time. Allow everyone an opportunity to do their own thing, and then meet for a meal, a show/parade, or at the pool.

Plan a Non-Park Day to Rest

When planning your Disney World vacation you often spend a lot of time finding the perfect resort for your family. You want to enjoy the resort as well as the parks and it is important to plan a Disney vacation rest day.

On our first trip to Walt Disney World we made the mistake of not planning a rest day.

We spent five straight days at the park. The kids were all under 5 years old. We went to bed early and got up early so it worked. On our last visit we planned a day to sleep in a little and take a slower pace.

It was nice to relax and enjoy the resort. This “day off” gives you an opportunity to explore the resort. Check out the food options, pools, and playgrounds.

Need ideas for what to do on your day off? Check out: How to Enjoy Walt Disney World on a Non-Park Day.

Don’t Worry About Doing It All, Have a Plan but Keep it Flexible

I spend a lot of time planning before we leave but it doesn’t always work out the way I have planned. I learned very early on to make a plan but also be flexible when visiting the parks.

You want to know what is at each park so you don’t miss the rides and attractions that are important to you, but you also want to relax and enjoy your vacation.

Understand that you will not be able to do everything. You will not be able to control what rides are down or under refurbishments, or the weather, or the crowds, so make a plan but be flexible to enjoy whatever the day brings.

Plan out a basic itinerary with 3-5 priorities at each park and enjoy those. Check out my park guides and itineraries to help you.

• Magic Kingdom Guide & 1 Day Itinerary
• Epcot Guide & 1 Day Itinerary
• Hollywood Studios Guide & 1 Day Itinerary
• Animal Kingdom Guide & 1 Day Itinerary