Disney World Tips

36 Hours in Disney…a handful of tips to make sure you have a magical experience.

A few years ago, we took the kids to Disneyland, and it was one of the best days ever. When we found out I would be speaking at a conference in Florida, we decided to give Disney World a shot. Sure enough, it was another amazing day for our family.

Here are a few things we did that helped make it even better…

Have a good home base - There are a number of hotel options at Disneyworld, and I am sure there are plenty of great ones. We opted to stay at the Four Seasons, and it was so lovely. Wherever you decide to stay, a good hotel room is key, because when you have downtime, you want it to be peaceful and relaxing. The Four Seasons had a great room, but that wasn’t the main attraction of this place. On this property, they have a full water park…water slides, beach/kiddie pool and splash park, and a lazy river. Our kids loved this almost as much as going into the Magic Kingdom. And, the water park is a win for all ages. After being on your feet all day, this oasis gives the adults a chance to enjoy some great food and a well deserved cocktail, while the kids can continue to burn off energy and excitement, or take an outdoor nap when they finally crash. Highly recommend staying here if you can make it work, and definitely budget in at least a half day at the water park.

Start your planning a few months out - Once we knew we were going, and we knew we would only have 36 hours, we wanted to make sure we made the most of it. So, we did some research, asked friends and travel agents, and looked over the park attractions. This allowed us to make a list of what we wanted to do. The team at Disney is amazing at helping you plan your stay, so once you have a rough outline, give them a call. Each hotel concierge can help you, as well as the Disney planning center. They will help you get tickets, make reservations, and also let you know about any special events/happenings at the park during your time there. For some reservations, like Cinderella’s Royal Table, requires you to be ready to book exactly 60 days out.

Dial it all in a few days before you arrive - As your park stay approaches, check back in with the Disney planning center, confirm anything needed, check on early access and “lightning lane” passes, and chart your course for your day(s). They told us what time to leave the hotel, where to go first when we got in the park based on what our kids wanted to see, and which attractions would quickly accumulate the longest lines. They also told us how to use the app to check wait times for different attractions, and how to get as much done in the shortest amount of time possible. If you can get early access to the park via your hotel, you can get a handful of attractions done before the crowds show up and lines start to form.

Don’t stop for lunch - During both of our Disney experiences, it was go, go, go. It is a lot for both the parents and kids, and we didn’t want to burn too much time sitting down for a meal. So, we ordered room service the night before to be delivered at a specific time, made sure our kids had a great breakfast, brought some snacks, and hit a few of the quick food stands in the parks. That allowed us to maximize our time while our kids had the most energy, and when they ran out of gas in the early afternoon, we all enjoyed some great food and drinks by the pool.

Maximize it, but don’t over do it - Seeing the faces of some of the parents at Disney is pretty comical. Many of them look like they have been beaten up, LOL. We didn’t want to feel that way, so we made a plan of what we wanted to get done, and when we wanted to be done for the day. Also, we all know the look or attitude our kid(s) get when they are getting tired, so we paid close attention to that so nobody got bratty (parents included, haha). Going to Disney should be a dream come true, so don’t let it turn into drudgery. Make a plan, build in some down time, and be sure you leave wanting a little more.

As always, thanks for tuning in, and cheers to your and your family making lifetime memories at a truly magical place.