10 Awesome Walt Disney World Experiences We Almost Kept To Ourselves

10. Fast Passes to Character Meets.

When you hear fast pass you likely think of skipping the line for a ride and boarding quickly. While fast passes are a great way to snag short ride wait times it is also the key to meeting characters quickly and easily. Fast passes for princesses and other character gangs secure photos with multiple characters that are in neighboring stations. With a fast pass for a character meet in Epcot on a recent trip our family met Minnie, Goofy and Mickey one after the other using one fast pass.

9.Turtle Talk with Crush.

Turtle talk with Crush is a seriously adorable attraction that involves Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo interacting with the audience and teaching guests a few things about sea turtles and ocean life. This experience is located inside the Living Seas at Epcot making it easy to miss during a quick overview of the park.

8.Unlimited Cruising on The Magic Kingdom Railroad.

The Magic Kingdom Railroad is such a fun way to see the park from a new perspective, relax and catch an afternoon breeze to cool off during the ride. Some guests do not know that you can board and exit the train as you wish. Meaning, if you choose to circle the park several full times to break from the activity you are welcome to stay on board as long as you would like. The train is a great option for a parent spending time with a little one while the rest of the family rides a less toddler friendly ride like Splash Mountain or Space Mountain.

7. Snagging Later Dining Reservations to Budget More Park Time.

When booking Disney dining reservations, you may think of traditional meal times and limit your seating time searches to the few hours you would generally have dinner at home. At Walt Disney World most restaurants seat guests from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm for dinner. This means you can spend extra time playing in the park and working up an appetite for a later dinner if a 9:00 pm or later dinner time would be a good fit for your travel party.

6. Dining at A Dessert Party Is a Great Dinner Option.

For Walt Disney World veterans that feel like they have dined at almost all the restaurants on the property, booking a desert party in place of a dinner is a great idea. The dessert party at The Magic Kingdom offers a spectacular view of the fireworks from Tomororwland and a delicious bottomless buffet of dessert, fruit and chocolate treats.

5. Dinner Packages Make for A Fun and Tasty Evening.

Evening entertainment dinner packages are a really fun way to score preferred seating at shows. Show packages have been available in all parks at various times but presently are available for Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios. The purchase of the package directs you to a prefix menu of delicious dishes at a restaurant in the park and secures you a first come first served seat at the evening show.

4. Watching Parades in Frontierland Is More Fun.

More than an hour prior to parade time in The Magic Kingdom it is common to see people lining up along Main Street U.S.A. to secure a seat to watch the parade with their family. This area gets really crowded quickly and often results in a crunched and uncomfortable viewing experience. An alternative viewing space that is generally less crowded that the parade crosses through is the streets of Frontierland. Consider viewing from Frontierland for a less crowded and more relaxing viewing experience.

3. The Playground Near Splash Mountain is Fun for Young Children.

The small toddler play area near Splash Mountain is a great idea for families waiting with a young child while the other portion of their party rides Splash Mountain. Located directly under the Frontierland Magic Kingdom Railroad train platform, this play area features plenty of cool shaded parent seating and a small Brer Rabbit playhouse and slide for kids to play on.

Bonus Tip!

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best Disney travel deal, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius! Discover More >

2. Shopping After Park Closing Is a Great Option.

Park closing times do not mean that shops close immediately. Often, shops in The Magic Kingdom will stay open for quite a while until the majority of guests have emptied from the park. A 1:00 am closing at The Magic Kingdom means that the attraction line gate closes at 1:00 am therefore, guests in line can enjoy the attraction before exiting the park. This builds in a bit of time for end of the day shopping for guests on their way out of the park. Though you should avoid spending an extended amount of time browsing in shops after closing, dropping in to purchase items on your shopping list is a great idea.

1. Playing in Ride Queues Is a Lot of Fun.

Obviously you came to Walt Disney World to enjoy the attractions and not the ride queues but Disney does a great job incorporating magic even in the wait lines. Sorting “potatoes” in a popping machine in Rabbit’s garden in the ride line for Pooh. Talking to Scuttle in line for The Little Mermaid, touring the Darling’s nursery as you wait your turn for Peter Pan or playing an enchanted organ in line for The Haunted Mansion is a fun way to pass the time and have fun with your family.

BONUS TIP: Consider planning and booking your next Disney trip with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner you can trust like Mickey Travels. They’ll help you get the best Walt Disney World deal, share expert advice and their services are totally FREE! It’s genius!

You May Also Like:

7 Things You Should Never Do at Future World and the World Showcase

5 Places You Should Dine At Disney World And 5 Places You Shouldn’t

20 Secret Facts about Disney Movie Characters

101 Fabulous Walt Disney World Tips