A family vacation at Walt Disney World in Orlando can be one of the most powerful experiences your children will remember. It can also turn into a family trauma that mainly you, the parents, will swear was the last time you ever set foot there.
After several days in Disney’s Orlando parks, the bottom line was that the kids had an absolute blast — and I mostly worked. My husband stayed at the hotel and said he might (obviously, he didn’t) join us on the final evening for the fireworks show, effectively throwing hundreds of dollars we paid for his ticket straight into the trash.
Planning is everything
Proper preparation for a Disney park visit takes time — from deciding whether to stay at a Disney hotel inside the parks to choosing the right type of admission ticket. Either way, this is a very expensive vacation, and it’s crucial to align expectations with the kids before booking tickets, unless you’re planning on taking out another mortgage.
Once you’ve decided how many days you’ll dedicate to the Disney parks, sit the kids down with the Disney app and let them choose which parks they want to visit, which shows they want to see and, most importantly, which rides they want to go on.
Disney World is the largest Disney park complex in the world, covering more than 110 square kilometers (about 20,000 steps a day — comfortable shoes are mandatory). If you know in advance where you want to go, you’ll be better prepared to purchase shorter queues for the most crowded rides (waiting times for popular attractions can reach three hours).
If this is your first visit, don’t try to do more than one park per day. The parks are far apart, and travel time between them can reach 45 minutes. The Disney website and app show which dates are less crowded, and it’s highly recommended to plan your visit around those days.
Spending money — and how to avoid it
Everything sold in Disney park stores is very expensive. Set a shopping budget in advance and avoid entering the stores altogether. It’s inconvenient to carry bags all day, and many rides don’t have space to store them. If you do give in and agree to buy your child an enormous lightsaber and a full “Star Wars” costume, do it at the end of the day.
Don’t buy water. Bring a reusable bottle — every restaurant in the park will happily fill it with ice water. Orlando’s water is clean and tastes fine, and there are plenty of water coolers throughout the parks.
Should you stay at a Disney hotel?
In general, yes. The main reason is early park entry: guests at Disney hotels can enter the parks half an hour before everyone else, which allows you to squeeze in two or three major attractions — if you know in advance where to go.
There are more than 25 Disney hotels, so choose one located near the park you plan to visit, as distances matter. All hotels offer shuttle transportation (boats, buses or trains), so you don’t need a car. Parking at the parks is expensive and hard to find on busy days anyway.
Room prices vary depending on demand and season, and not all hotels or rooms are Disney-themed. We stayed at the Walt Disney World Dolphin hotel, closest to EPCOT, but about 20 minutes from Magic Kingdom.
The Disney parks at a glance
Disney World has four theme parks, each with a distinct design: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In addition, there are two water parks: Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach. All parks have family-friendly attractions, but if you’re traveling only with teenagers, parks with more extreme rides — such as Universal — may be a better fit.
Magic Kingdom
This is Disney World’s iconic castle park, built around a main street lined with shops that leads to the castle, surrounded by themed lands. Standing with the castle in front of you and Main Street behind you, Adventureland is to your left. Continuing clockwise, you’ll find Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.
Notable attractions:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, It’s a Small World, Jungle Cruise, and the extreme roller coaster Tron Lightcycle/Run, which can only be accessed via a virtual queue.
Animal Kingdom
Here you’ll encounter dinosaurs, the legendary Yeti of the Himalayas, the creatures of Pandora from “Avatar,” and real animals. There are fewer rides, but beautiful walking paths and excellent shows.
At the center of the park stands the massive Tree of Life. After crossing the first bridge at the entrance, you’ll reach Discovery Island, which connects the park’s areas. To the left is Pandora: The World of Avatar, followed clockwise by Africa, Asia and DinoLand U.S.A.
Notable attractions:
Avatar Flight of Passage, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and Expedition Everest, a roller coaster set in the Himalayas.
EPCOT
EPCOT is a constantly evolving, multicultural park. Recently added highlights include the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, along with attractions based on “Ratatouille” and “Moana.” Don’t miss the aquarium at The Seas With Nemo and Friends, home to more than 3,000 marine animals.
The park’s symbol is the giant sphere at the entrance, which houses Spaceship Earth. EPCOT is divided into four main areas: World Celebration, World Nature, World Discovery and the World Showcase, which surrounds the central lagoon and features pavilions representing different countries. EPCOT hosts various food festivals throughout the year, so it’s worth checking dates in advance.
Notable attractions:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (virtual queue recommended), Frozen Ever After and Soarin’ Around the World.
Hollywood Studios
This park includes some of Disney World’s most popular attractions, including “Toy Story” and “Star Wars,” but it’s relatively small and crowded. We managed only four rides in a full day. Do not miss the “Indiana Jones” stunt show.
Upon entering, you’ll walk along Hollywood Boulevard toward Echo Lake. To the right along Sunset Boulevard are two of the park’s most sought-after thrill rides: Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. From there, you can reach Grand Avenue, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.
Notable attractions:
Tower of Terror, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash.
Tickets, apps and skipping lines
If someone offers you discounted Disney tickets, they’re probably trying to scam you. Tickets should be purchased directly from Disney World, and discounts are rare. Guests staying at Disney hotels can buy tickets there, and some multi-day family packages offer modest savings. Ticket prices vary by date.
The FastPass system has been replaced by Disney Genie, a free digital assistant available through the My Disney Experience app. It helps you navigate the park, check real-time wait times (crucial), and order food in advance for pickup or table service. Through the app, you can also purchase access to shorter queues for certain rides. Some attractions offer only a paid virtual queue.
In addition to Genie, you can purchase shorter wait times for specific attractions through Genie+ or individual Lightning Lane passes. Prices vary by park.
If you have Park Hopper tickets, which allow park-hopping in one day, the Genie+ price will be that of the most expensive park you visit that day. Genie+ is purchased in the app just after midnight on the day of your visit, and your first ride reservation can — and should — be made at 7 a.m. You can’t book the same ride twice, not all rides offer Lightning Lane, and popular attractions sell out quickly, so start with the biggest ones.
After entering your first ride and scanning your ticket, you can book another. If you miss your one-hour window, the reservation is lost. You can book a new Lightning Lane either after using the previous one or 120 minutes after booking it, starting from park opening time.
Disney claims Genie+ allows you to experience three rides per day. With good planning, we managed far more. Keep in mind that availability can run out, including Genie+ itself.
There’s also a VIP service, which provides a guide who escorts you to rides with no waiting at all.
Final tips
The Park Hopper option is unnecessary for most visitors — it’s very difficult to do more than one park per day. If you book a vacation and Disney later releases a better discount, contact them — they’ll usually apply the new deal to your package.
One final, essential tip: being at Disney World without watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks is like visiting Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. Since it’s a must-see, the exits and shuttles are chaos afterward. The recommendation: skip the last five minutes of the show and save yourself a long wait.