The Smiths’ Park Plan

By Nicole Smith

Image provided by Photography by Sean Cassidy

For me there is nothing like a Disney vacation. It is the most magical place in the world. The moment I see the castle the real world seeps into the background and for a little bit all of my worries fade away.

That being said walking into Disney with no idea of what to do, where to go, or where to start can be overwhelming. We spent our whole first trip it seemed from walking from end of the parks to the other.

Here is a list of what is a must do for us and any tips we can think of for each park.

Animal Kingdom:

• We like to get there when the park opens. We stroll over to dino-land and ride Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl and Triceratops Spin all before the crowd makes it over there.
• Our Must Dos are the safari, Lion King, and Everest.
• We personally have never fast passed Lion-King or Finding Nemo but we don’t normally go during busy seasons.
• It’s a Bug’s Life has warnings that it may be scary for littler kids. This is true. Our first trip we scarred our then 2 and ½ year old and every time we entered a theater for the entire 10 day vacation she would burst into tears and yell “what’s gonna happen” and what then happened is one of us had to sit outside dejectedly while the other watched the show in peace with the 5 year old.
• I personally love the movie Up so I like seeing Russell and Dug.
• If your child likes being hands on with animals take a ride out to Rafiki’s Planet watch and relax while the youngsters torment, I mean brush, the goats.

Hollywood Studios:

• For us the #1 fast pass is Toy Story Mania. It is one of our favorite rides out of all 4 parks. We all act competitive even though my husband wins every time.
• If you have any Star Wars nerds in your group Star Tours is a fantastic 3d ride we love. It is different every time you ride it. We heard they added some new scenes and are super pumped to go again and see the differences.
• There is also Jedi-Training for the younger kids. You must go in the morning and sign up upon the park opening. It is a pretty big deal and my 8 year old Jedi loved it. We called the Disney phone number and had a cast member walk us through the steps of getting signed up.
• If you like to be thrilled Rockin’ Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror are both awesome. My 11 year old made us pinky swear she will never have to ride TOT again for her entire life, so know your crowd before one of your kids ends up needing therapy.
• Our 2^nd must do is Fantasmic. It is my favorite show out of all 4 parks.
• This park has the most change coming with a Star Wars Land and Toy Story land being worked on and I am excited to see the progress.

Epcot:

• People say Epcot isn’t for little kids but my kids have always loved it. It is like anything, you have to know your group to best tailor the park to what your family likes.
• Our must dos for rides are Figment, Soarin’ and Test Track.
• My all time favorite snack is the cronut which can only be found in Epcot.
• The food is amazing. Everywhere in every country.
• Mulan is here and this is the only park you can find her if you have a princess fan.
• We like to break our day or days into one concentrating on the Innovations side and the 2^nd leisurely walking/eating/shopping the countries.

Magic Kingdom:

• Magic Kingdom, I think, is the most overwhelming park. From the beginning you have to know you can’t “do everything.”
• Our must do list is long for this park BUT our bare bones list is the teacups, 7 dwarves mine train, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
• That being said we love just about every ride in this park.
• Stitch’s Great Escape is another one that can seem harmless but spook your kids when the lights go out. In this one our then 2 ½ year old climbed out of the harness and ran off creaming in the dark. My husband had to power lift up his safety bar and give chase. We did not know what was about to happen and about had heart attacks thinking it was a ride and that parts would be moving. A nice cast member helped my husband nab our runaway and took them outside while we continued to not simultaneously see any indoor shows the duration of the trip.
• If you can get a breakfast reservation in the park before it opens you can get pictures from Photo Pass people throughout your walk to the restaurant with little to no people in the background. We do this every trip. It is my favorite.

Other basic tips:

• We bring our own juice boxes and waters with us in our book bag in the parks. You can also bring snacks.
• Sunscreen. Use it. Apply it. When you apply it to your entire family don’t forget to apply it to yourself.
• If you start getting cranky don’t be afraid to pack it in.
• Don’t push so far past your limit that you are actually miserable. You can’t do everything. Just appreciate all the magic and beauty in what you do get to do.
• If you can afford Photo Pass get it. The faces on the ride pictures are my favorite and it is so nice to have pictures of the entire family throughout our whole trip.
• Before you go do your research. Don’t be scared to ask questions on Crazy for Disney. We are Crazy because we love Disney ridiculously and with so many members someone is bound to be able to help you.
• Any cast member at any park will try to help you the best they can.
• Always grab a map and a park time’s paper when you come in the park. Grab extras if you have kids.
• Wear comfortable shoes but bring blister supplies just in case.

These are just some tips and tricks that have worked for us and what we like to do. It’s also an overview, a personal cliff notes version of each park.  You may do things completely different and your trip will be just as magical. Good luck and lots of Pixie Dust!