It’s hard to miss my VIP membership into the Disney World fandom on this blog. Seems like I am posting about Disney every other week and since some of you have messaged saying you are planning Disney trips and have mentioned that you would like to know my best-kept secrets from navigating Parks to fast pass hacks, I will share them with you! That’s what friends are for right?! So let’s get going!
My favorite way to start is the clothing and accessories. I gotta see my boos Mickey and Minnie looking right! My fave Mickey ears as of late are from an Etsy shop called Luby and Lola. They are based out of London and only open every couple of weeks. Check out their IG and they will announce when they are opening the shop. Each pair of ears are handmade and go with a Disney movie or character. My faves are the rose black and red ears and the Rapunzel ears. Now onto the clothing, my favorites are from Torrid as they offer a large variety of Disney themed clothes that I don’t see everyone wearing. Plus you will be complimented on your look throughout the park. That is half the fun!
Now that you have your look down, let’s talk parks, tickets and fave events.
My fave park is Magic Kingdom. It is so amazing, full of nostalgia and fun. Then come Epcot and Animal Kingdom & then Disney Springs. I have never been to their 4th park, Hollywood Studios so I have no tips for that one. Disney Springs is not a park, but it is a wonderful destination for shopping, food, and entertainment.
If I could give you a tip I would say, get park hopper tickets so that you can go from one park to another. Especially if you are there for an event. So for instance in the fall Epcot has the Food & Wine Festival. It is a giant festival that can be overwhelming if you don’t know how to navigate it. I would suggest you start the day at another park, like Animal kingdom and take Disney’s internal busses to Epcot for food and then go back to Animal Kingdom if you drove a car there.Y ou can break your time up at the festival and enjoy lots of food and wine without being too full or too tired.
There is no fee to take Disney’s internal bus and there is no special ID needed to get on them. Find the bus and take it to any park. If you have the park hopper ticket you can go in and out of parks as you would like. If you don’t purchase this type of ticket, you can only go into one park per day with your ticket. Park hopper tickets cost a bit more but if you are there for a festival it is worth it. If not a one park per day ticket is fine.
Fast passes – You can reserve a spot for a ride with a fast pass. They don’t cost extra and be sure to use them on rides that are in demand, like Avatar, Soarin, or Mine Train. Heads up you can see the wait times for rides on the Disney World App and that will give you an idea of what you should be reserving fast passes for. You need to start reserving these spots in advance. If you are staying at a Disney Resort you can book 60 days in advance. If you are staying off Disney property you can book 30 days in advance.
Let’s get to my best park attractions –
Magic Kingdom – This is hard because I love the entire park, so I would suggest you just enjoy. If you haven’t been, just stroll around. Use the Disney World App for a map and just go from section to section. You can download the app and manage dining reservations, fast pass reservations, and to see wait times on other rides. Here are some Magic Kingdom rides and events that I always look forward too: Photos by the castle, strolling on Main Street, Seven Dwarfs Mine train, Little Mermaid, The 3pm Parade, the 8 pm fireworks and light show on the castle and most importantly Be Our Guest Restaurant (Post on how to get reservations is coming soon). There are Many, MANY more things to do at Magic Kingdom but those are my favorites.
Epcot – Soarin’, Frozen, and The World Showcase, also called by visitors “Around the World”. I love to flit and float from country to country. I enjoy the hidden rides in Mexico and Norway. They are fun and adorable. France has wonderful champagne to sip and there is much more to see in each country. If you get tired of walking you can take the ferry from the halfway point to the entry of World Showcase. There are lots of spots to take photos and the food is good in each country. Give yourself plenty of time to enjoy yourself.
Animal Kingdom. You must go on the Avatar rides, and go on the Safari. There is a lot more to see there, but those are my 2 must-sees.
Disney Springs – A lot of souvenirs are cheaper in the Giant Disney Store in Disney Springs. They have a seriously ginormous Disney store and I found things 2 dollars cheaper here than in the parks. Uniqlo has really cool Disney shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets here for a low price so check them out. There are great margarita stands, poutine stands, and great restaurants at all price points through Disney Springs. You can catch a movie or see an outdoor concert. It’s an easy breezy destination so take an afternoon or evening and enjoy it. One good point to remember, Disney Springs stays open longer than the parks. So if you want to hang out after the parks close. Head over and enjoy your night.
As you can see there is plenty to explore at the various parks and attractions at Walt Disney World. I hope my pointers help you to have an even better time at one of the most wonderful places in the world! I look forward to sharing a few more pointers with you soon! If you have some pointers that could be helpful for me to know please share them in the comments. I will be glad to read them!
xo Danie
Share your email address with me and I will send you the best of This Curvy Life including must-have info on travel, style and self-care!
xo Danie
I love everything Disney so thanks for the tips, cant wait till my little one is old enough to go so he can enjoy himself with us 🙂
Author
Oh that will be so wonderful!!!
So many gorgeous suggestions! I have been to Disney only twice! It was a magical time and now I wish I could have the time to visit Disney in Paris soon!
Author
OOOh I totally want to go there and to Disney Japan! I can’t wait to go there!
I love all these tips (so helpful) but I love the pics of you in the parks even more! You just look so happy and carefree. 🙂
Gosh, it’s been so many years since I’ve been to Disney. I was like 3 yrs old so my memory is super faint. My by and I plan to go soon though. I really want to see Epcot.
Author
I hope you were able to use some of the pointers in the post for your Epcot trip 🙂
I miss Disney so much! Only thing that still bugs me is that they did a restaurant in that castle (at least in Orlando), would have been way more cool if it was the actual castle inside haha 😀
Author
Is that Cinderella’s table? I haven’t tried that one yet. I will have to write about it. I am prepping a post on Be our Guest which was amazing
Loved your intake on this! Too bad Disney is so far away maybe one day ill get to go there!
Girl you had me at “food and wine festival” haha. I have not been in so long and your post brings out the adventure in me wanting to go back!!! Plus you look so cute in your pictures!!!
Author
Thanks so much Whitney! I loved your recent post. It was just what I needed.
Great information! And I love your Disney outfits and how carefree and happy you look being there! It’s been several years since I’ve been and I think it’s cool they have an app now!
Author
The app is wonderful. Its so helpful for all your reservations and fast passes.
These are great to know! Wish i knew this my last disney trip! I will definitely remember some of these fr my next! Thanks for sharing
XO-Lisa
http://www.thatssodarling.com
Love the tips and the pics. I haven’t been there in a while, but this post sparked my interest and courage (to go with 3 kids).
Author
Im sure you will have a wonderful time. Have you thought about taking a Disney Cruise. They have many programs so you can take the kids for adventures during the day and you can enjoy a spa day? I have been thinking of going.
I am headed to Disneyland this month and I am so excited! I can’t wait. Thanks for these tips – I will definitely be using them!
Author
Yay I am so glad I can help with some tips. Have a great time for me!!!
these are amazing pictures and i could literally visualize everything as i read. its my dream to take my children to Disney land one day ! hopefully some day soon ! fingers crossed.
Author
I am sure you will and you will have an extraordinarily fun time!
Looks like you’ve had a lot of fun! 🙂 I have never been to Disney World… 🙁 That’s too far from where I live.
I am looking at your photos and i am like I want to go to Disney. 🙂 right now 🙂 loved reading this dear and I hope someday I will be there too!
Author
Thanks Zana! I appreciate you checking out the post 🙂
You look so happy! Amazing to see! Great secrets you share with us about your Disney favorites. I have never been there, can you believe that?
Author
Please buy a ticket right away. I have never been somewhere that encourages pure joy and belief in your dreams. It is more than a fun place, it is a place where you can indulge in anything that is possible.
This is great! We live near Disneyland & it can be overwhelming so I can only imagine how the sizable difference feels for families at DisneyWorld! I’ll be sharing this on my Facebook page 😍
My favorite place on earth! My niece, Sydney, turns 3 in August and we are taking her!! I can’t wait!
Author
I can’t wait to return! I think I will go when the food and wine festival comes. Maybe in November.