Tips for visiting Walt Disney World for the very first time?

[amelibeli75]

HI! My SO and I will be going to Disney in late July. It's my very first time going (I'm living my childhood dream, aha), and I was wondering if anyone had any advice. I heard it basically rains every day in the summer, so we're planning on bringing an extra set of shoes/maybe flip flops. We're only going to be at Disney for three days, so we're going to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.
Do you have any advice for someone going to Disney for the first time or are there any must-see/must-do things we should know about? Any tips/things to look out for? Also, we're planning on visiting beaches close to Orlando . . . would you recommend any specific beaches to visit?
Thank you so much!

 

[Welsh_Dragon]

I would say that when you are in the parks try to enjoy the moment you are in, rather than focusing on what your plan says that you should do next. Don’t expect to see and do/ride everything and try not to set your heart on riding any one particular ride.
On a practical note.Get to the parks as early as you can or be prepared to stay until the parks close. Have a plan. Find food as soon as you begin to feel hunger pangs. Do the wet rides last.

 

[Best Aunt]

You're going in 11 months? The advice that people would give you now may be completely different by the time you get there. There have been a lot of changes made due to COVID, and we don't know when or if things will change back.

Examples:
- Having a theme park ticket isn't enough; you also must have a reservation to go to that park on that day (Disney management indicates that this isn't going away anytime soon)
- Currently no parades
- Currently no character meet and greets
- Currently cast members will try to prevent you from even going in the door of most quick service restaurants unless you have done mobile ordering through the MDE app
- Currently no trams in the parking lots
- Currently limited housekeeping
- Currently you can't request fastpasses (although sometimes they are given out in situations such as if you are on a ride and it breaks down, but even then no guarantee).

I'd say that an extra pair of sneakers is better than flip-flops unless you know that you can do a lot of walking in those particular flip-flops and you won't slip on wet surfaces if you are wearing them.

 

[_19disnA]

Personally, I would never go to Disney in July since it is just way too hot to be enjoyable in the blazing sun while walking a LOT. I don't care how much water you drink or what sort of comfortable clothes you wear, you will enjoy yourself much better at other times of the year. Disney is HUGE so where you stay makes a difference in how you plan to get around. Assume you will have a car since you indicated going to the beach as well. Not clear if you are staying on-site or some other nearby hotel. While it is helpful to know ahead of time the general layout of each park, what you do and how you enjoy yourself depends on if you are the go-go-go types or enjoy a more leisurely experience. No amount of advance planning will make the parks any less crowded.

 

[robinb]

You have 11 months to plan and you’re definitely in the right place to do it! One thing to be aware about the DIS is that you will experience what at I call “vacation creep” where you end up adding on days or changing to more expensive lodging. For instance, you start out planning to stay at a hotel offsite and you end up at the Polynesian. It’s up to you to embrace or resist the creep.

I’ll address your Beach question. I prefer the gulf side. Clearwater Beach is beautiful. Try to stay near the beach if you can because the traffic over the bridge and finding parking can be brutal.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Keep checking in HERE and read everything you can. The Forums are great but point and click on all the general info too. There is ALOT to learn.

 

[Disney Fool]

My advice for first-timers ( along with the comfy shoes bit) is to realize that Disney is 47 square miles of non-stop fun. That's a lot of territory to cover! Realize that you will not see it all, you can't. But really enjoy what you can see. Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, every little detail. Disneyworld is a "theme" park, not an amusement park; if you only go for the rides, you're missing a huge amount of what Disney is about. Hopefully by the time you go next year, things may be closer to 'normal' and you'll have an enjoyable experience.
when it comes time to pick any advanced dining reservation (ADR's) try not to choose a restaurant in another park unless you plan to stay in that park afterwards. Otherwise, you'll lose precious time traveling from park to park --especially when its your first trip. And if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant, yes, you must make an ADR.
Invest in a sunhat -july sun is brutal in Florida; sunscreen goes without saying.
Please don't wear anything black. comfy breathable clothes. Did I mention really comfy shoes? (and nix the flip-flops).
yes it will be very very hot, but if that's the only time you can go, here's a strategy for that:
go to parks early in the morning and try to do as much as possible; leave park as heat begins to build, around 11-11:30 am, and spend the afternoon swimming or relaxing at your hotel/resort. or take a nap-you may need it! go back to parks in time for dinner. the BIG advantage of going in July is that the parks are open very late, like 10 or 11 pm. and traditionally less rides are off-line for refurbishing.. So go with a plan. Be prepared, and prepare to be wowed! your dreams are about to come true!!
PS: to pass the time til July, brush up on disney classic movies!
And invest in a good guidebook and start making notes.

 

[_19disnA]

My impression is that Disney originally called MK a 'theme' park vs an 'amusement' park (and 'attractions' vs 'rides') to try to distinguish themselves from other amusements parks around the country to create an incentive to get people to travel to Florida. Now that Disney has more then one park, that distinction is less of a marketing ploy and many probably still quibble about the use of those terms.

 

[Stratman50th]

The parks have been pretty much covered so I'll go for the beaches. Orlando is in the center of the state so "beaches close to Orlando" doesn't apply. That being said, you are within a 2 hour drive of either Atlantic side beaches, Daytona, Coco beach, etc, or Gulf beaches. As previously stated, Clearwater is a very popular tourist beach, and as previously stated parking can be rough. I'm partial to the water along the gulf shore rather than the Atlantic side, which doesn't seem to get "pretty" until you get further south.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

My advice for first-timers ( along with the comfy shoes bit) is to realize that Disney is 47 square miles of non-stop fun. That's a lot of territory to cover! Realize that you will not see it all, you can't. But really enjoy what you can see. Enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, every little detail. Disneyworld is a "theme" park, not an amusement park; if you only go for the rides, you're missing a huge amount of what Disney is about. Hopefully by the time you go next year, things may be closer to 'normal' and you'll have an enjoyable experience.
when it comes time to pick any advanced dining reservation (ADR's) try not to choose a restaurant in another park unless you plan to stay in that park afterwards. Otherwise, you'll lose precious time traveling from park to park --especially when its your first trip. And if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant, yes, you must make an ADR.
Invest in a sunhat -july sun is brutal in Florida; sunscreen goes without saying.
Please don't wear anything black. comfy breathable clothes. Did I mention really comfy shoes? (and nix the flip-flops).
yes it will be very very hot, but if that's the only time you can go, here's a strategy for that:
go to parks early in the morning and try to do as much as possible; leave park as heat begins to build, around 11-11:30 am, and spend the afternoon swimming or relaxing at your hotel/resort. or take a nap-you may need it! go back to parks in time for dinner. the BIG advantage of going in July is that the parks are open very late, like 10 or 11 pm. and traditionally less rides are off-line for refurbishing.. So go with a plan. Be prepared, and prepare to be wowed! your dreams are about to come true!!
PS: to pass the time til July, brush up on disney classic movies!
And invest in a good guidebook and start making notes.

This is spot on!!
Advice on shoes , wear shoes that are broke in and are comfortable. I like shoes that dry quickly..
My son swears by his crocs.
If you just hang around here you will learn some really great tips and make some good friends.
Central Florida summer is hot, so I personally choose never go to Disney in the heat. But I have gone before. Just be ready to be hot!!
I have been to the beach on both sides, both are really great but it depends on what else you want to do. Clearwater is beautiful white sand... while Coco & melborne beach have more waves so you can boogie board. We just went bioluminescence kayaking near melborne it was the most amazing thing ever.

 

[marvelmega]

I live in Orlando and frequent both coasts on an almost weekly basis.

For east coast beaches, I'd recommend New Smyrna Beach. It's much closer. Take I-4 East to SR 44 East. That will land you directly in NSB. Specifically, if you want a more secluded beach, then take A1A South to Canaveral National Seashore. There is a cost for the day, but it's a nicer experience - with better parking - than the local beaches (with bathroom facilities at the welcome center). This will be your CLOSEST beach to the Orlando area. Don't forget to try Mon Delice for some excellent pastries while in town, or driving down Flagler Ave right in the heart of NSB (lots of neat shops and small restaurants).

For west coast beaches, the usual bet people mention is Clearwater but keep in mind that you will need to navigate Tampa's crazy downtown freeways. There's a few exits you have to maneuver to get you toward Clearwater in going from I-4 to 275 to 60. If there's tons of traffic - like there normally is - you may get frustrated. You also will need to drive through Clearwater (proper) which can get chaotic sometimes. However, indeed, the water is beautiful in that area - nothing beats the view while driving on 60 over Old Tampa Bay. Note that it will be CROWDED in July - especially driving the rotary around Clearwater's main beach. Parking in the summer, dependent upon the day and time, can also be hard to come by. If you have a chance, visit Winter, Hope, Nicholas, and PJ (dolphins) at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It's a great place doing awesome work.

If you're interested in a smaller, low-key gulfside beach town with street parking right near the beach (at a small cost), I'd also suggest you look into Pass-A-Grille which is a small town in St. Pete Beach. It's south of Clearwater, and you'll need to take different route to get there from I-4, but it's worth it. Much less crazy and touristy than Clearwater. (note that there is a small toll to get over into that area, but it's a really nice place - you'll see why once you get over there)

Hope this helps!

 

[Bama Mom]

My main piece of advice is to slow down and look around you while you're there. Disney can be over whelming if you go in with the mind set you have to do it all. It can also make the trip stressful for some people. Definitely stay on top of all the new changes that happen over the next year as you plan because things are constantly changing at Disney. Don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have.

 

[pindecisive]

Hollywood Studios - if you're there for tower of terror or Star Wars, you'll be fine, but if you're not - there's just more to do at Animal Kingdom. After visiting Hollywood Studios once, we don't plan to return.

Shoes - I swear by my Brooks. I also love Features or Balega socks for keeping blisters away.