Beginners Guide To Disney World

What are the top priorities to see and do on your first trip to Disney World? The vastness of Walt Disney World Resort cannot be appreciated until you drive past that welcome sign after landing in Orlando. Your list of must-dos can feel overwhelming and really put a dampener on your trip if you’re completely focused on ticking everything off without really appreciating where you are and what you’re seeing. Having a concise and realistic list means you will the best of what’s on offer, but can also do everything at a pace that doesn’t feel like you’re trying to run a marathon every day.

There are 4 different theme parks to get around (not including water parks) all containing a variety of top-tier food, shows and rides. A whole lot of fun to pack in, a whole lot of snacks to taste, and a whole lot of memories to make!

If you’re here for the thrills then top of this for this park should be Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain and Tron Lightcycle run. This park isn’t just for the littles, these rides do pack a punch!

Another big ticket item for this park is of course the fireworks. You’ll be sure to shed a tear watching the colours fly and hearing all those nostalgic tunes after a day of fun and laughs, accompanied by Disney World’s newest parade, Starlight: Dream the Night Away. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped in to your childhood dreams.

You can get to this park via either the Monorail, parking at the TTC (Transportation and Ticket Centre) or boarding at one of the monorail hotels, via bus from other Disney resorts, or by a luxurious boat trip across the lagoon (again from the TTC or nearby resorts).

When it comes to fueling up, you can’t go wrong with a lobster roll at Columbia Harbour House or if you’re more traditional go for a hot dog at Casey’s corner. For a sweet treat be sure to check out the Cinnamon bun at Gaston’s Tavern or the ice cream cookie sandwich from the Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street.

My personal favourite park, EPCOT, standing for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, is all about experiencing the world and all it has to offer.

This park is a big hit for snacks so make sure you don’t fill up on too many Mickey Waffles at breakfast! If you’re lucky enough to visit during their annual ‘Food and Wine Festival’ your stomach won’t know what’s hit it. Some of the top treats to look out for, that can be found all year round, include the School bread from the Norway Pavillion (a custard lovers dream!), Werther’s Original Caramel Popcorn from the Germany Pavillion and the Liege Waffle from Connections Cafe.

Some of the most thrilling and exciting rides can be found at this park. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is sure to get you buzzing, and the newly-revamped Test Track will satisfy your need for speed, running at up to 60mph. If you prefer a more gentle pace or need a nice relaxing break in the air-con then hit up Spaceship Earth or Soarin’ Around the World.

This park has the luxury of being accessible by 3 different transport methods. Take the monorail from Magic Kingdom (or any of the Magic Kingdom resorts), a bus from any other Disney resort, or enter through the World Showcase entrance via the Skyliner, Disney's own cable car system.

Your day at Hollywood Studios will surely bring out your inner child, watching the droids roll around at Galaxy’s Edge and feeling like you’ve shrunk in Toy Story Land.

Top of your list here has to be Rise of the Resistance. Even the non Star Wars fans will be captivated by this truly immersive experience. I can guarantee your jaw will hit the floor when you enter the First Order’s Star Destroyer ship. Some other key attractions include Slinky Dog dash, a fun little coaster giving you a bird’s eye view of the land; Toy Story Mania, a shooting ride based on favourite carnival games; and if you’re feeling brave enough, the Tower of Terror drop ride.

A show is a must at this park, lovers of Anna and Elsa will enjoy the Frozen Singalong whereas adventure fanatics will love the Indiana Jones stunt show. This park also shines at night, with its incomparable evening show, Fantasmic. Join Sorcerer Mickey as he enters his dream world, slaying Dragons and meeting all of his friends in a water and firework based spectacular.

Let out your inner animal lover at this theme park cross zoo. There is a lot to explore from watching the African animals grazing on the savannah during your Kilimanjaro Safari, screaming your heart out on Everest, a coaster where you may just meet a real life Yeti to losing your mind as you fly on the back of a Banshee in Avatar’s land of Pandora.

Don’t forget to leave time to explore the animal walking trials in both the Africa and India sections of the park as there are lots of amazing creatures to spot. Although there are fun transport options within the park, such as the notorious Safari Jeeps, this park is only accessible via bus.

When you need a break and sit down then look for one of the two best shows that Disney World has to offer, A Big Blue World (a musical where you can watch Nemo and his fishy friends) or Festival of the Lion King (a cirque show with Simba and the gang).

This is Disney’s main shopping village, housing a whole range of famous brands including Lego, Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, Uniqlo and many more, not to mention the host of fantastic restaurants.

Make sure you don’t miss out on this shopping hot spot for the biggest Disney shop on property, where you will surely find all of the souvenirs your heart desires. Grab a Gideon’s cookie to soothe your heart ache on the way to the airport and pick up an ornament from Disney’s own Christmas shop as a physical memory of your trip of a lifetime. Again, this area of the property is only accessible via the wonderful Disney bus service.

If you also want to add on another unique experience to your stay, you can take a trip up in the incredible panoramic balloon in the centre of the springs or book some tickets to watch the mesmerising Cirque de Soleil show.

Magic Kingdom

This is the park that comes to mind when your here the word ‘Disney’: think, a big pink castle, a carousel and lots of Mickey-shaped ice creams. For families with young kids (or adults who never grew up), this park is the dream. Lots of kid friendly rides like Dumbo, the Barnstormer and the good old favourite, It’s a Small World.

If meeting Mickey Mouse and his pals is up your street, then this should be top of the list for this park. You can meet the big guy himself for a photo at the town hall as you enter the park; and see him perform with all his friends outside the castle in his ‘Friendship Faire’.

EPCOT

You also can’t miss this park at night, with the enormous EPCOT ball lighting up the sky and a whole host of great dinner spots you can finish your evening with another epic firework display, hosted on the great big lake in the centre of the park. It is truly breathtaking!

Hollywood Studios

This park is also accessible via the Skyliner, in my opinion the most relaxing way to travel across Disney property, which makes it easy to visit both Hollywood Studios and EPCOT in one day. Otherwise you are relying again on the faithful Disney bus service.

Animal Kingdom

Don’t sleep on the foody offerings in this park either. Satu’li Canteen in Pandora is a good lunch spot for a wood-grilled chicken bowl and one of my go-to’s to beat the heat in this park is a frozen banana lolly, so refreshing!

Disney Springs

So now you know what to prioritise once you get there, give us a shout via our contact form so we can get your perfect Disney World package all booked, so all you need to worry about is which snack you will try first!

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