So let's talk Disney 101.
I will go over some tips on each park (and our trip experience )) later,
I will go over some tips on each park (and our trip experience )) later,
but these are just my own personal BASIC tips for Disney goers!
#1. Download the "My Disney Experience" App on your phone.
It's free and it will run your whole Disney experience!
You now book your fast passes, dining reservations, see wait times for rides, all through your phone!
Now this next part is where Aaron and I messed up!
There is a NEW fast pass system.
(**For those who don't know, fast passes make it so you don't have to wait in the long lines:)
(**For those who don't know, fast passes make it so you don't have to wait in the long lines:)
My family totally had the old system down but now that it's all digital Aaron and I were so behind on the times!
You can book your fast passes 30 days in advance of your trip and 60 days in advance if you are staying on Disney resorts!
WHAT the heck!?
This is KEY!
We got there only to find out there were NO fast passes left for certain rides, so for those rides we had to either hit them first thing in the morning, or bite the bullet and wait in line for forever and a half.
You only get 3 fast passes a day!
After the third fast pass times up, you can book fast passes one by one throughout the day.
However most of the fast passes are gone by the time you get to that point!
However most of the fast passes are gone by the time you get to that point!
We were pretty dang proud of ourselves for not having to buy ONE water bottle the entire trip!
Disney lets you bring whatever kind of drink, food item you desire into the park.
Take advantage of that!
Aaron and I each brought one water bottle a day (we did get free water at our hotel) and just refilled it every time we passed a little drinking fountain.
#3. Bring a meal?
We are early risers. We like to be to the park right when it opens and don't have time for a sit down big breakfast, so we brought Bars and some fruit each morning to eat.
One less meal to buy, saves money, and we liked being able to splurge later in the day on ice cream and snacks:)
#4. Speaking of early, the earlier the better.
I know every one is NOT an early riser!
But when going to Disney, it is so worth it to be there first thing in the morning!
Especially with little kids. You can walk right on those kiddie rides in the early hours!
Especially with little kids. You can walk right on those kiddie rides in the early hours!
And that is the BEST time of the day to hit the big rides.
Aaron and I were able to ride some of our favorite rollercoasters 5 times in a row before the park packed up around 10 AM.
#5. Pros to staying in a Disney Resort
We stayed at The Swan, which is right outside of Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
I had never stayed on Disney property until this trip!
We LOVED it!
There are all price ranges of rooms when it comes to Disney Resorts!
And expensive or cheap they all come with the same perks!
PERKS:
**Free park transportation.
We never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a bus. Don't have to deal with parking the car OR paying to park.
**Extra Magic Hours.
To me, this was the biggest perk!
By being a Disney guest, you are able to get into the park an hour before opening on certain days and you can stay 2 hours after closing on certain days!
Made for less lines and less people!
Yes Aaron and I were the very first people in the park.
#crazykids
**Walking distance from Disney parks.
Not all Disney resorts are walking distance but ours just happened to be walking distance from Epcot and it was wonderful!
**Free airport transportation.
So apparently The Swan hotel, where we stayed, is located on Disney property but was just bought out by another company so unfortunately this was the only perk that we didn't get to enjoy. :(
However I know all other Disney resorts grant this which is another expense to check off for free!
After researching costs on taxi's and hotel transportation we used MEARS.
It is 32 dollars a person round trip from the airport to the hotel.
Totally reasonable and less than the regular taxi would charge!
Just call in advance to schedule your pick up time and they will be there!
Super easy!
#6. When going to Florida, bring an umbrella or a poncho!
It doesn't matter if your phone says "sunny" bring something just in case!
We are so dumb. We live in Houston, of all places (rains all the time) and we travel to one of the few places in the U.S. that is more humid than Houston and forget an umbrella.
We had to buy one. It rained every day we were there.
Quick 20 minute little rainstorms. But pretty intense little thunder storms!
Be prepared! - And find a show to pop into while the storm passes over:)
#7. Wear Comfy Shoes!
This one is a little self explanatory.
You walk a ton. Sometimes we would go back to the hotel mid day to switch shoes for night.
It helped a lot!
This one is a little self explanatory.
You walk a ton. Sometimes we would go back to the hotel mid day to switch shoes for night.
It helped a lot!
#8. Take selfies on your favorite roller coaster,
Sweetest lady ever offered to take our picture and told us she snapped 5 shots of us.
After telling her thank you and walking off to look at the pictures,
poor thing didn't realize that she was taking pictures of herself.
I have 5 shots of her on my phone. Awesome.
Totally bright outside and hard to see. I don't blame her.
Moral of the story, before you give your phone to someone else to take a picture, turn it off selfie mode.
#9. Download games to play on your phone
Our favorite was "heads up".
Totally passed the time when you had to wait.
Ha this awesome worker posed for my husband to take this picture.
105 wait time is BRUTAL.
#10. If you are celebrating an occasion wear your pins!!!
As soon as we got to our hotel they asked us if we were celebrating anything.
1st timers, birthday, etc...
We told them it was our Anniversary gift and they gave us "Happy Anniversary pins" to wear!
Not that you should expect free things, and trust me we didn't expect anything,
but we got about 4 free desserts and 1 free pretzel just because of our Anniversary pin!
Don't be afraid to wear those things every day to the park!
Hope my top 10 help for your next Disney Adventure!
And if anyone has anything else to add- FEEL FREE! XO
ALSO: 2 more days to enter the As Darling Does Giveaway ! The winner will be chosen this week! :)
Totally passed the time when you had to wait.
105 wait time is BRUTAL.
#10. If you are celebrating an occasion wear your pins!!!
As soon as we got to our hotel they asked us if we were celebrating anything.
1st timers, birthday, etc...
We told them it was our Anniversary gift and they gave us "Happy Anniversary pins" to wear!
Not that you should expect free things, and trust me we didn't expect anything,
but we got about 4 free desserts and 1 free pretzel just because of our Anniversary pin!
Don't be afraid to wear those things every day to the park!
Hope my top 10 help for your next Disney Adventure!
And if anyone has anything else to add- FEEL FREE! XO
ALSO: 2 more days to enter the As Darling Does Giveaway ! The winner will be chosen this week! :)
