Don’t Pay Thousands for a Tutorial, This Is The Ultimate Guide to Disney World For Beginners

So you want to go to the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida. But it’s your first time or first time with children, or you haven’t been in years and you just realized that Disney World has changed drastically since the last time you were there.

But you quickly realize that Walt Disney World is complicated. You have a few choices to solve this problem. You can pay thousands for courses or YouTube tutorials or just keep reading this.

Here is everything you’ll need to know to successfully plan a Disney vacation and ensure you have the best possible Disney experience. So, keep reading, and we will demystify Walt Disney World for you.

The Parks

Okay, the first thing you need to know is that Disney World is not one giant theme park; think about it more like a big city. For some perspective, Disney World is about twice the size of Manhattan.

There are four theme parks, dozens of hotels, hundreds of restaurants, two water parks, and Disney Springs, the dining/shopping destination. Here’s your primer on the Disney parks and all of the Disney World basics.

Magic Kingdom

When you think of Disney World, Magic Kingdom is most likely the park you are considering. It has the iconic Cinderella Castle, the iconic image of the parks.

Magic Kingdom is the spot for you if you travel with kids or wanna-be princesses. It has “”it’s a small world”,” Peter Pan’s Flight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Under the Sea–Journey of the Little Mermaid.

But even if you’re traveling with teenagers, Magic Kingdom has something for you. There’s Space Mountain Tron Lightcycle/Run, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Thunder Mountain, and coming this summer, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

There are also plenty of character meet-and-greets. You can meet Tiana, Cinderella,  Ariel, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and you can’t say you’ve been to Disney World unless you meet Mickey Mouse.

EPCOT

EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow) was an educational park, but that has all changed. EPCOT now offers thrill rides and some of the old-school educational-type rides.

You’ll want to hit Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (you’ll need to get into the virtual queue; more on that later), Soarin’ Around the World, Test Track, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

And if you’re traveling with any kids, you’ll have to go to Norway in World Showcase to hit Frozen Ever After.

Don’t sleep on World Showcase. It’s possibly the best place to find food throughout Walt Disney World Resort. And then there are the festivals. You will find that no matter what time of year you go, there is always a festival at the World Showcase. If you can, go for Christmas, it’s the best.

Hollywood Studios

Do you like immersive theming? You’re in luck. Hollywood Studios is the smallest Disney park with some of the best-themed lands.

If you’re a Star Wars fan, you must hit Galaxy’s Edge and ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. But don’t sleep on the details. It is mind-blowing.

Walking out of Galaxy’s Edge, you head into Toy Story land. Again, the devil is in the details. Absolutely perfect. For the kids, there’s Toy Story Mania! and for the adults, there’s Slinky Dog Dash.

Don’t forget about the shows at Hollywood Studios. There’s Muppet Vision 3D and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.

Before you leave, make sure that you hit Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is by far the biggest Disney park. You can fit the other three Disney parks inside Animal Kingdom. So, you have to be prepared to walk…a lot.

The key to Animal Kingdom is to take your time and stop for all the animals. They are everywhere. You may be walking along and come up the Tiger pit or a gorilla. It is the beauty of the park.

The shows at Animal Kingdom take center stage. Check the My Disney Experience app (more on that later) for times. Make sure to get to Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo: The Big Blue and Beyond.

Kilimanjaro Safaris is a must, and so is Pandora: the World of Avatar. You’ll need a lightning lane for the rides if you don’t want to wait, but more on that later.

And for those looking for more of an actual adventure, there’s Expedition Everest-Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, the Kali River Rapids, and Dinosaur.

Before You Go

So, this is a lot, but there’s more to a Disney vacation than just the parks. Unlike going to the beach, you have to plan before you leave. First things first, where are you going to stay?

Staying at a Disney resort offers certain advantages but will be expensive. You can easily find a hotel outside the parks for much less money, but you’ll miss out on some aspects of the Disney experience.

Any Disney resort is intricately themed and helps continue the magic in your room. You also get the advantage of entering the parks 30 minutes before the general public. Sure, it’s only 30 minutes, but with fewer guests around, that will allow you to hit your two favorite rides before everyone else comes in.

If you stay at a Disney deluxe resort, you also get an extra two hours at the parks on certain nights. These are usually at Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. But you also have to pay for a Disney deluxe resort.

Related: Beach Club Vs. Boardwalk, Where Should You Stay? 

You also don’t have to worry about transportation while staying at a Disney Resort. Depending on your chosen resort, you can take a boat, monorail, or the skyline to certain Disney Parks. You can take the Disney bus system to any of the parks, water parks, or Disney Springs.

The biggest consideration is money. Staying at a Disney Resort can be expensive. How much is the experience worth to you? That’s the main question that you have to answer. Disney Resorts can cost twice as much as a hotel room just outside Disney World; some “Good Neighbor” hotels even offer the same perks as a Disney Resort.

But like everything else with Disney World, you must research your hotel and decide on the best location for your family.

Related: TheEnormous Scale of Disney World Will Blow Your Mind

Restaurants

Now, we’ve entered into some serious business. There are hundreds of restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort; no, you don’t have to stay at a hotel to use the restaurant there.

If you are looking for a specific place or want character dining, you can make a reservation 60 days in advance. Some of the best character dining experiences will fill up on the day they open, especially if you’re going during a school break or Christmas.

So, if you want Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom, set your alarm, get up early, and make that reservation. Don’t worry; you don’t have to count backward from the start of your trip. It will tell you when the 60-day window opens on the My Disney Experience app.

Related: The Best Meal in Magic Kingdom, Period.

Where to eat? That’s something you will have to decide on your own. But the food at Walt Disney World isn’t your basic theme park fare. In the past two decades, it’s gone from Mickey ice cream bars and hot dogs to gourmet meals. The food will be an essential part of your experience, so take some time and research what your family likes.

There are even some suggestions in the links around this article.

Ticket Add-Ons

After you book your Disney Resort hotel, you will have several options of items you can add to your trip. Some are worth the price, while others are not so much. Here’s a quick rundown on those add-ons.

The Disney Dining plan will be your first option. There are two types: The Disney Dining Plan and the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan. For each plan, you get the number of meals for the nights you stay rather than the days. So, if you booked a five-night, six-day stay, you only get five days worth of meals.

The Disney Dining plan gives you one sit-down meal, one quick service meal, and one snack per day. While the Disney quick service plan gives you two quick service meals and a snack every day. Both plans come with a refillable mug.

The Disney Dining plan can be expensive and not worth it if you’re traveling with small children. One adult meal is enough to share with a small child. But if you’re traveling with older kids, the plan might be worth it for your family.

Next up, you have three options to add to your tickets. The first is the Park Hopper option. This allows you to jump between parks throughout the day without restrictions. So, if you find that the Magic Kingdom is crowded, you can head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

This can be expensive but necessary at times. This will depend on how often you and your family want to stay at a single park for an entire day.

The second option is for the Disney Water Parks. If you’re heading to Disney World in February, this option doesn’t really make sense. But if you’re going for a week in August, a day or two at the water parks is perfect.

And finally, the Disney photo pass. This allows you to download all of the photos Disney photographers take throughout your trip. Disney has set up photographers at all strategic locations throughout the parks. But they will also take photos with your camera if you don’t want to pay for the photo pass.

All of these options just add more money to an already expensive trip. It’s entirely up to you and your family how much more you can/are willing to add on. At Disney World, the sky is the limit as long as you are willing to pay.

Magic Band

Think of this like a smartwatch for all of your Disney information. You use it as a park ticket, room key, and to pay for items. You can buy them in advance and have them shipped to your home, or you buy them when you arrive at Disney World.

The magic band will sync with the app, and the app will tell you how many meals you have left or days in the parks. It will also tell you how much you’ve spent. On of the tricky things about using a Magic band instead of cash or credit is that you sometimes forget just how much you’ve spent. That is until you get the bill when you check out.

So, make sure to track your spending, especially if you don’t have an unlimited budget.

On Your Arrival Day

You have arrived at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and now you must travel from the airport to the parks. There are several options. You can rent a car, but those are in the basement of the Orlando International Airport, and for all intents and purposes, it is the third ring of hell.

You won’t really need a car. Parking is free for Disney resort guests, but a car isn’t necessary outside of leaving to buy groceries.

Disney used to offer a free service, the Magical Express, but during COVID, it went away and has not returned (don’t bring it up or Bob Chapek, who took it away).

Related: Hey Iger! Bring Back the Magical Express

You have a few choices for traveling from the airport. A taxi will run you around $100, but an Uber or Lyft will be slightly less. Your final choice is the Mears Connect, which charges by the person. If you are traveling with a large party, a cab or ride-share would be your best option. The Mears can actually cost more than a taxi, and like a taxi, you have to pay both ways.

Arrival At Your Resort

Timing is everything in life. Depending on what time you land, your room may already be ready for you. But if it’s not prepared, don’t fear; Disney World has you covered.

You can leave your luggage at the bellhop and explore the resort. It’s free (very few things at Disney are) and will give you a lay of the land. It’s important to find the pool and the best place to get coffee. Both will be essential to your trip.

When your room is ready, rest up. You’re going to need it.

Maneuvering Through the Parks

You have to make sure that you have downloaded the My Disney Experience App. The App will guide you to whatever Disney Park you decide to head to on that day. At 7:00 a.m., you must wake up and purchase Disney Genie Plus. This will allow you to use lightning lanes and skip the lines throughout the day.

Is it absolutely necessary to have Genie Plus? Not really, but you will have to wait in line for every ride, and depending on the time of year, that may take up your entire day.

Related: Disney Genie+ Has Become a Must-Have in the Parks

The cost of purchasing Disney Genie Plus will ultimately decide for you. It can be as low as $19 a day and as high as $40 a day. So, it could cost $160 per day for a family of four.

You are allowed to purchase Genie Plus after midnight on the day you’re heading to the park, but you cannot make your first ride selection until seven the next morning.

Some Disney World attractions will sell out quickly, or you may have to return to the park later in the day for a particular ride. Some rides are not included in the Lightning Lane selections. Disney has upcharged those rides, and if you want a lightning lane pass, you have to pay extra.

When you make your selection, you have to decide what is most important to your family and what you must do on that day. Lines will always be longer for the thrill rides, and for some reason, at Peter Pan’s Flight in Magic Kingdom.

After you make your first Lightning Lane selection, you cannot make another one until you use your first or three hours after the park opens. Best case scenario, you may get four or five rides using Lightning Lane passes.

What is Rope Drop, and Why Does It Matter?

If you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you get to enter each theme park 30 minutes early. Even if you’re not an early riser, you should take advantage of this perk.

If Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens at 8, you should plan on getting to the park by 740. It will take some time to get through security and through the turnstile. The extra 30 minutes will let you get onto at least one premium attraction before the rest of the crowds arrive.

Rope drop (and in some of the parks, it is a literal rope drop) is when the cast members allow guests into the parks. Magic Kingdom has an opening show for guests. It’s worth it to get there early to see the show.

When you’re allowed in, go to the ride/attraction you want most. Do not use your Lightning Lane pass for the first ride. The line will be short, and in most cases, you can walk right on.

The Day

You cannot spend the entire day running around a Disney Park. It’s just physically impossible. Don’t plan on staying from rope drop to closing.

Experts will tell you to head back to the hotel, hit the pool, take a nap, and head back to the theme park later in the day. If you choose to stay for the entire day, it will end poorly, especially if you’re traveling with kids.

If you plan to run from ride to ride, you will miss the details, and at Disney World, the devil is in the details. Slow down and take in the experience.

You are allowed to bring water and snacks into the parks. Sit down, eat a little, and watch the people go by. Sometimes, that can be just as interesting.

It’s meant to be fun, and if you try to do everything at once, Walt Disney World will lose its fun quickly. Once you accept the fact that you can’t get everything done, it becomes easier to navigate.

Conclusions

Heading to Walt Disney World is not like other vacations. You have to plan. But you have to remember you’re on vacation, and plans change. If you rigidly stick to your agenda, you’re not going to have fun.

It is a massive place, and you won’t see and do everything in one week. That’s kind of the point. Disney planned it that way, so you must keep coming back year after year, and some of us do.

There is more that you will learn along the way. This was just the tip of the Disney World iceberg to get you started. There is so much more that you will learn along the way. And when you do, you’ll tell everyone else about your new tip about navigating the complicated and mystical Disney World.

Enjoy your trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth.

What else should Disney World newbies know before going? Let us know in the comments.