DISNEY

My top 10 tips for a stress free trip

Disney is pure magic, you can let your inner child free without judgement. You make memories that last a lifetime, there is something to suit everyone and dreams really do come true. 

But...it can also be a little stressful so I'm here to help with some tips and tricks on how to make your visit a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful. 

If you're like me and you are Disney obsessed then here are my top tips for a stress free, magical visit to the parks. We all know a trip to Disney isn't a cheap holiday, it can be done on a budget but in recent years ticket prices have gone up, flights are more expensive and hotels are definately not as cheap as they were 5 years ago. Would I say it's worth every penny to experience the Magic? Yes absolutely but with some conditions. 

The main condition being that if you are able to travel off peak your experience in Disney will be much more enjoyable. There will be less crowds, the wait times for rides will be significantly lower and you'll be able to enjoy the parades, light shows and fireworks without feeling like you're in a can of sardines. Ideally the best times to go to Disney are the last 2 weeks of January into the first week of February, the first 3 weeks of May even though its hot the crowd levels are usually lower, the middle of August (it will be hot but ill add tips and tricks later on as to how to manage the heat) and pretty much the whole month of September is probably the BEST time to go for heat and crowd levels.

We went for the first 2 weeks of April and it was absolutely packed, it was the lead up 

to Easter and it was also Spring break so just be warned that it can get as busy as the Christmas 

period during the month of April, especially between the 8th and 16th.

Although June through November are considered "hurricane season" or the rainy months it pretty much rains in Orlando every month so prepare yourself for massive downpours at about 3pm or 4pm, it's not a matter of will it rain? its a matter of how wet will I get because it WILL rain. 

SO that brings us on to official tip number 1. -Bring a rain poncho....

This one is a no brainer, bring a poncho. When it rains it pours, torrentially. Being from Ireland you'd think that were used to the rain but in Orlando during the rainy season the sky opens up, rain falls like Niagara Falls, soaks everyone and everything and then stops just as quickly allowing the sun to come out and dry you off in about 20 minutes, its unexplainable but anyone who has ever been to Orlando before will know. While the poncho allows you to stay somewhat dry during the downpour, say goodbye to your shoes during the rain because there's no saving them (a little tip that I learned from our first visit was to pack a small pair of flip flops in your bag if you have room so you can change into them and keep your trainers dry during the downpour, theres nothing worse than soggy shoes and socks). The ponchos also come in handy for any of the water rides, throw them on before you get on the ride and ta-da you've only got a wet bum but your hair is saved. 

Tip Number 2.- Pack light.

While you think to yourself that packing absolutely everything into a large backpack is a good idea you'll end up lugging it around all day and your back will be in a heap. Not only does a large backpack make it harder to navigate large crowds, you'll end up carrying everyones stuff all day, the bag can rub on your shoulders leaving them raw, we won't talk about the sweat patches... and it makes it harder to get on and off rides where you need to put your bag at your feet. If you are a savvy packer and do decide to bring everything and the kitchen sink you can rent lockers at the entrance to the parks to store your stuff so you dont have to carry them round all day, I think they're about $10-$15 dollars depending on the size. 

Note: drones, suitcases, toy guns or water pistols, folding chairs, selfie sticks, tripods, glass containers, pets (unless they are a service animal) and plastic straws are not allowed into the parks, you will be asked to return them to your car or they will be taken off you, security is strict with metal detectors and bag searches so pack smart. Animal Kingdom doesn't allow balloons in the parks either so dont bring any. 

Take a leaf out of my book and bring a bumbag for those days that you dont want to 

carry a bag, these little bags are quite deceiving. I had my card wallet, some cash, my poncho,

reusable metal straws, my mini fan and lip balm in this and it was so handy. 

Tip number 3. -Invest in a small rechargeable fan.

While you might think that this is a contradiction to my number 2 tip of packing light there are some essentials that you'll need to bite the bullet and pack, for me and my husband these little handheld fans were a must. It gets hot hot and standing in the queues that are mostly outside can be a sweaty mess, believe me when I say you'll be glad of one of these even if it does just blow warm air in your face, its a relief from the sweltering heaviness of the Orlando humidity. 

This one is from amazon, its pocket sized but has 3 speed settings

so its more powerful than it looks.

Tip number 4. -Bring a collapsible water bottle.

The reason I suggest a collapsible water bottle over a normal one that you can attach to your bag is because the regular ones can be heavy, they flop around and are kind of a pain but we found the collapsible ones to be a winner. They are lightweight, attach to your bag or belt, fold down small and hold 500ml of liquid once opened. We got ours from amazon and they were a lifesaver. You can ask some of the quick service restaurants for free iced water or there are water fountains dotted all around the parks that you can fill your bottle from, if your not a big water drinker then pack some squeezy juice that you can add, you won't survive in Orlando on just soda and coffee, water is a must. 

Tip number 5. -Wear comfortable shoes.

I know this is a no brainer but I've seen so many posts on social media from people who visit theme parks that their feet are in ribbons from their shoes. A lot of people buy new, cute, Disney themed shoes to wear in the parks because they are aesthetically pleasing but please please please dont wear shoes that you've just bought, normally wearing these shoes a few hours a day would suffice to break them in but if you factor in a full day in a park or multiple parks you're there for anywhere between 8-12 hours and with the humidity on top of trying to break in new shoes believe me when I say you'll regret it when on day 1 your feet are full of blisters and plastered to bits, it makes for an uncomfortable rest of your trip. Bring well broken in shoes, sandals or trainers and your feet will thank you. 

Tip number 6.- Don't buy souvenirs at the parks 

We did have a few contradictions to this rule on this trip because we couldn't find the bits we were looking for elsewhere or we ran out of time to shop in the outlets but don't buy your souvenirs at the parks. Orlando has multiple shopping locations including Walmart, target, at least 2 outlets and shops all up and down I-drive that sell Disney merchandise. You'll pay twice or three times the price inside the parks so what we usually do is make a list of the things we see or have an idea of what you might like and see if they can be gotten elsewhere. Take pins for instance, obviously there are pins that are park specific so you'll only be able to get them inside each park but check the pin isle in Walmart, they have walls of pins, lanyards, keyrings and everything else you'd typically find at the parks but at a fraction of the price. Dont rule out the outlets either, they have some hidden gems in the Disney outlets.

Tip number 7.- Get to the parks early

This is an important one if you plan on traveling when the crowds are high. Get to the parks early, probably about 45 mins before opening. All the parks open at different times so do your research before you go so you can have a plan and set an alarm with enough time to get you to the parks for rope drop. Anyone staying on Disney property regardless if its a deluxe resort or value hotel get access into the park 30 minutes before anyone else so its crucial you get there early if you want to do the rides without long wait times. The exception to this rule is to try get on the rides while theres a show on ie. while the fireworks are on in magic kingdom or while the light show is on in Epcot, its usually at these times that the queues are shorter and you'll have better luck bashing out more rides than you would if you went to the parks at around 11am to late evening, plus if you time it just right you can watch the fireworks from some of the rides. 

Tip number 8.- BUY YOUR PARK TICKETS IN ADVANCE

This one applies to everyone for now, currently Disneyworld is running on a park reservation system so you need to have a valid theme park reservation for each park every time you want to visit. I'd say this will eventually become redundant but for now you cannot access the parks without 1.a valid ticket and 2.a reservation for that park for every day of your trip. The tricky thing with this reservation system is that if you don't book a reservation for a park early enough you're not guaranteed to be able to access any parks for the duration of your visit and your ticket will have been a waste of money. The earlier you book your reservations the better so have a plan in place as to what parks you want to do on each day of your vacation. Your reservations can be amended and changed at any time but not all the parks will be available  at the drop of a hat so choose wisely to maximise your time there. If you have park hopping included with your ticket just note that you can park hop to any park of your choosing after 2pm but you must scan into the park that you have your original reservation for first, also park hopping to another park is subject to availability and if they are at capacity they won't let you in even if you have a valid ticket.

Tip number 9.- You dont need to pay for memory maker for magical photos

The photopass photographers can be found at the best locations for photos in the parks, they can take pictures for you that you can purchase in the my Disney experience app if you don't have the memory maker in your ticket but don't be afraid to ask them to take a picture with your phone or camera because they will definitely oblige, just make sure your settings are set how you like them beforehand because they won't adjust photo parameters. This also goes for character meets, make sure to hand over your phone beforehand for some candid shots that you don't have to pay for.

Tip number 10.1- WEAR SUNSCREEN

This one is a no brainer...... fair skin, dark skin, skin that's used to the sun, skin that doesn't burn easy ALL OF THE ABOVE, wear a high factor sunscreen even if its cloudy out. The sun in Orlando is extreme and even if you don't burn easily if the sun doesn't get you a combination of the sun and wind will cook you like a rotisserie chicken if you're not careful. Theres nothing worse than hitting those parks on your first day, eating all the snacks, soaking up the glorious sunshine, feeling the wind in your hair on big thunder mountain only to come home after a wonderful time to see yourself in the mirror looking like a patchwork quilt of  burnt skin, then having to lather yourself in aloe vera for 3 days and missing out on everything because you're too sore to move, if you're applying suncream enough and you're slippery enough to slide through the railings in Magic Kingdom then you're doing it right, don's scrimp on the suncream. 

Tip number 10.2 Have fun

Things will go wrong or things may not go as planned, it's almost inevitable that plans will go askew and some plans will be completely thrown out the window so prepare yourself to amend your schedule and have fun regardless. Disney can be stressful and busy but it can also be magical and just truly wonderful if you take the time to just go with the flow and enjoy yourself. If something doesn't go to plan!!! make a new plan. If it rains and you think your day is ruined go dance in the rain and remember how lucky you are to feel the rain on your face in the most magical place on earth. Remember to take a break every once in a while or you'll burn yourself out, theres only so much magic your body can take before it will decide to take a break without your consent so relax by the pool in the afternoon, do some shopping, take a nap and remember that the parks are not going anywhere, they'll still be there when you decide to go back after your siesta. 

I hope some of these tips help at least one person. Happy planning for your magical trip and remember, adults are just grown up kids so enjoy the brief moment in time when you can relive your childhood along with thousands of others just like you.  

Kim xxx